Another Day in the Leaf
by wiseash6
Summary: Chapter 10 is up. Hinata has a date with a certain shinobi. Kakashi and Rin's relationship goes to the next level. Please Review.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. This is my first fan fiction and I hope you like it. Feedback is much appreciated.

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**Chapter 1: From Rain to Mist**

'_It's almost too much to stand'..._After all the training, after all the sleepless nights, and all the talk, he still could not convince his closest and truest friend to return to Konoha. A soft mist began to fill the air as Naruto looked out into the night sky from atop his rooftop. While gazing out at the village he desired to protect with all his heart, a disturbing thought filled his already distressed mind: _'Will I fail them all as well?' _

The past few weeks had not been kind to Naruto. As much as he wished for times to be peaceful, he could tell that much of the storm still lied ahead. While events were at a stand still for the moment, he knew in his heart that this relaxing and gentle mist would soon turn into a torrential downpour. Events that had taken place the past few weeks were still playing over and over through his mind and it was hard for Naruto to believe that things could get any worse. Usually he was up for any challenge and willing to dive in head first without considering the pains that he might endure, but after what happened, after what he did, after what _she_ did…

'_It is too much to stand.'_

From a distance two shinobi looked on at the seventeen year old with concern etched onto their hardened faces. "Jiraiya-sama, you don't think his spirit has been broken?

"For his sake, I hope not."

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Miles away from Konoha, a certain medical ninja all too familiar with the feelings that Naruto was experiencing, found herself between a rock and a hard spot. She glanced down at the ailing, unconscious Sasuke who was obviously in a great deal of pain. Sweating profusely and squirming from side to side, Sakura bent over and gently kissed his forward in the vain hope that her touch might bring him some comfort.

_'Not only have I betrayed my home, but I betrayed him…no…I hurt him…I hurt him in a way that he may never recover from...Naruto…please, forgive me, but I had to follow my heart.' _Sakura sighed a deep breath as she remembered the difficult decision she had made the previous week. She had to fight every impulse in her body from taking the weakened Sasuke back to Konoha by force, but something was stopping her. His words still played fresh in her mind.

**flashback**

Praying that her ninja skills were good enough to keep her from being noticed by the two teammates in the hospital room, Sakura tip-toed to the cracked door and listened in on their conversation.

"Sasuke, now that your back in Konoha, I can help you ge---"

"No, Naruto," Sasuke interrupted, "you can't help me. No one can help me. This is something I have to do on my own…without you." He uttered these words without emotion, without feeling; just stated them as a matter of fact as he lay in bed bandaged from head to toe. Tsunade had described his injuries as extremely severe. Any abrupt movements could damage his internal chakra networks to the extent that his ability to perform certain high level jutsu would be compromised. So, there he lay, for the moment, allowing his body to heal and contemplating his future plans for taking Itachi's life in the most painful way imaginable.

"Sasuke…aren't you…aren't we…brothers?"

"Naruto, I have a brother and that's_ not _you. We have no such bond."

At this statement, Naruto got up out of his seat and turned towards the door in an effort not to reveal how much Sasuke's words had hurt him. "Maybe…maybe in time you will remember how much Konoha means to you," Naruto chuckled through a forced smile. "And you will remember how much your friends mean to you…."

'_Because in my heart I know you haven't forgotten'_

"He's all yours know Sakura-chan." Naruto said as he headed towards the door.

'_Damn, I guess I need to work on my stealth.' _Without a word Naruto walked past her and out the door. Sakura took the seat next to Sasuke's bed. Not reacting to her presence, he simply stared at the ceiling with an empty look in his eyes. Instead of staring back at him, she looked out the window and admired the sunny day in Konoha. Simply being there with him, it was enough for her. It was enough to last a lifetime. She could imagine spending the rest of her days simply being near him, hearing his breath, knowing that although he was emotionally distant, he was capable of a tremendous amount of love…if only he were near.

"Sakura…" Hearing her name caught her off guard. Usually, with Sasuke, she began the conversation, but this time he took the first step. Anticipation built up in Sakura as she knew that whatever he wanted to say, it must be important enough for Sasuke to break this trend of her speaking up first.

"You must know that I will not be staying in Konoha and that it is just a matter of time before I leave again. Deep down, you know that what I am saying is the truth." Her heart sank and her mind was sent into a flurry. It was true, based on his conversation with Naruto and based on his undying urge to defeat Itachi; she reluctantly knew that Sasuke would rather die than to stay in Konoha while his murderous brother was still out there, living on.

"Because I know that you know this, I am going to ask a favor of you." Her eyes widened and her heart began to pound. _'What could it be?' _ Suddenly, she wished that he had not begun to speak at all. She almost felt the need to cover her ears like a small child and ignore his words. All she was willing to do at that point was look out the window and listen to his breath, but now…now things were about to get…real.

Sasuke continued with his request. "Take me away from Konoha…tonight." The pace of her heart beat doubled again. "If I wait until I am well to leave, everyone will be watching me, trying to make me stay in Konoha…especially Naruto. I am confident that my strength would be enough to overpower anyone that tried to stand in my way, but…you know as well as I do that it is not my aim to harm anyone in Konoha. It is not my desire to destroy the streets that the Uchiha clan once sought to protect. So, I want to leave tonight because no one is expecting me to leave while I am this injured and because it wouldn't cause a commotion. But… in my condition I need help…the help of a medical ninja…the help of you."

'_No…I can't…I can't…' _Sakura's mind began to race, her eyes drifted off to nothing in particular. She just wanted to escape, escape from the room and escape from the situation. She wanted to act like none of these words had ever been said.

"I know what you're thinking right now, but you should know just one more thing…If you don't help me, I will escape by any means necessary, and as you probably already know, that will most likely include hurting those close to you. And…additionally…if you don't help me, I will never ever come back to Konoha…or to you."

"So…Sakura…will you help me?"

**end flashback**

Sakura ringed water out of a cloth and placed it atop Sasuke's head. She had tried to be extremely careful with him as they crept out of Konoha, but some of the wounds had reopened and his chakra network was stressed by all the additional effort Sasuke had to put into the simple task of walking. His fight with Itachi had been that serious, but despite putting his body and life on the line, Itachi was still free…wounded for sure, but free.

_'At least…at least I got the chance to leave Naruto a note. Hopefully he will understand the decision I made and why I had to make it. Hopefully…he can forgive me."_

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Elsewhere that night, a sinister set of red eyes pierced into the sky. "Pein, in order to maintain a new world order, we're going to need the third piece to the puzzle. In order to have the strength necessary to command all the Jinchuuriki, we'll need a special technique capable of putting these demons at our mercy, but that technique will need the combined secrets of the three major eye bloodline limits. With Itachi's Sharingan and your Rinnengan, the only thing left for us to possess is…the Byakugan.

"Hai...Madara-sama."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. This is my first fan fiction and I hope you like it. Feedback is much appreciated.

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**Chapter 2: From Bad to Worse**

Tossing some small stones into the steady waters of the nearby lake, Sasuke sat propped up against a rather large tree which shielded both himself and Sakura from the rays of the sun. The day was steady, slow, and peaceful, almost as if there were no problems in the world at all; almost as if they had been ripped from the grasp of reality and gently placed into the folds of heaven. Sakura watched him, content, but distraught by a question burning in the depths of her mind. Sasuke's injures were healing quite well despite the stress he had endured while fleeing from Konoha, but he was not completely able to walk on his own just yet. But it wouldn't be long before he could….

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"When you recover fully…what…what…" She trailed off. It wasn't that she was unable to articulate the words in her mind. She was just afraid of what his answer might be.

However, Sasuke understood where Sakura was heading with her inquiry and replied simply, "You can stay with me if you wish."

"Hai." That was all that she needed to hear. Now she could enjoy this small piece of heaven a bit more. After all, her concerns were completely warranted. If she couldn't follow Sasuke and she couldn't return to Konoha without being shamed, where would she go? But now that she knew Sasuke wouldn't leave her when his injuries healed, she could feel a bit more confident that her decision to help him leave the village was the right one to make even though she had no idea what lay ahead for them in the future.

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If there was something Naruto hated with all his heart and soul, he especially hated lectures. There he sat, in the Hokage's office, with his arms folded glaring at the five individuals attempting to lift his spirits.

"So this is an intervention?"

"Yes Naruto, it is. You've been acting so strangely…you've been speaking at a normal volume for the past couple of weeks, you've been eating a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables instead of ramen, and you haven't been annoying to anybody in town….it's _soooo_ strange."

"Jiraiya-sama, there is nothing strange about anything you just said."

"Did you just call me Jiraiya…not only that but Jiraiya-sama….oh hell no, you have definitely gone craz—"

"What he means to say," Tsunade interrupted, "is that we are worried about you because you haven't been yourself. You haven't even been training."

"I'm just not in the mood…I'm not in the mood to keep on fighting anymore…"

"Not ever?" Sai chimed in from the corner of the room.

"No."

"Ever?"

"No."

"……..……you have a small penis………."

"…………….."

"………….a very, very, very, very, very, very, ver—"

Before Sai could finish that thought, Naruto was all over him, screaming at the top of his lungs, cursing Sai with every inch of his being. Kakashi walked over to split the two boys up, grabbing Sai and taking him to one corner of the room. Iruka firmly took hold of Naruto, grasped him by both of his shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. "Naruto, I know things have been hard on you lately, but you can't give up on your talents and most importantly you can't give up on yourself. Nobody in this room is willing to give up on those things because we care about you and have faith in your abilities as a shinobi, as a young man, and as a friend. You've inspired all of us to believe in your dream of one day becoming Hokage and we won't let you turn away from that dream."

"It may seem that your close friends are turning away from you, but just remember that nothing is simply black and white. I have no doubt in my mind that Sasuke and Sakura care about you deeply, but we're all at one point or another a slave to the circumstances that we are put in. Sasuke is a slave to his bonds with his brother and Sakura is a slave to her bonds with Sasuke. Don't you be a slave too, Naruto. Break free from this situation, take it into your grasp, and conquer it as a Hokage would do, but don't let your current circumstances defeat you."

"I want to believe I have the power to bring my friends back, bu—"

"You do," Sai interrupted. "You have the power to change the situation you are currently in."

Naruto and Sai exchanged glances. It was a rare moment where the two young men were actually being sincere with one another; both acknowledging that they were not only teammates, but friends as well.

"…..However, you will never be able to change the size of that penis…."

"WHAAATTT????"

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While Naruto's intervention was taking place on one side of the village, the Hyuuga household was under siege on the other. The Akatsuki member sent to the Leaf village with the job of kidnapping a Hyuuga of the branch family was Zetsu and he was a formidable opponent indeed. A weakened Neji knelt down and breathed in deeply while glaring at the smirking Zetsu recalling how the menace had ambushed his clan on a seemingly peaceful night. _'But why?' _

Neji glanced over at Hiashi who was sprawled out on the ground, blood covering much of his body. Hiashi had been the first to take on Zetsu as it was his duty as the head of the Hyuuga to defend his clan first and to the best of his ability. However, in his old age, Hiashi was no longer a challenge for someone at Zetsu's level. Before he engaged Zetsu in battle, he warned Hanabi and Hinata to stay out of the ensuing fight. Unlike his cousins, Neji knew what he needed to do instinctively without being told what his duty was; it was to protect the two heiresses with his life—a duty that he took very seriously.

Neji gave Zetsu's chakra network another look with the Byakugan, but was unable to find any obvious weaknesses. He wasn't sure what he should do in this situation, but he did know that whatever action he took, it would have to be efficient. His chakra stores were running low and he couldn't fail in his task. He prepared himself to attack, but before he could even make a movement, Zetsu was upon him, striking him with a mighty blow. Blood erupted and sputtered from Neji's mouth as his eyes rolled back into his head and his body crumpled into a ball on the ground, convulsing unnaturally.

Unable to stand hidden on the sidelines any longer, Hanabi charged in to help her cousin. Hinata watched in horror and called out to her sister for her to stop, but it was too late. The bold little girl had already been noticed by Zetsu who took particular interest in the absence of a curse seal atop her forehead. _'A main branch Hyuuga…'_

At this point in her training, Hinata definitely had the ability to get to her sister in time and shield her from the oncoming harm, but for some reason she was frozen in place. It wasn't fear that kept her glued to her position, but rather a sense of duty. If her father and Neji were no match for Zetsu, there would be nothing she could do to help them or her sister in the long run. If she became involved in the fight, she would share the same fate as her father and cousin, and then who would be left to lead the Hyuuga? This was undoubtedly the reason her father told the girls to stay out of the fight in the first place, but…._'What am I thinking?' _ Hinata scolded herself_…_"HANABI!!!!"

But it was too late; the girl had no chance for survival. Zetsu made quick work of Hanabi piercing her belly with a sword concealed in his clothing. He was about to pick up her body to leave when an enraged Hinata revealed herself to Zetsu and activated her Byakugan. Under her breath she let loose an uncharacteristic swear: "Bastard…." It no longer mattered that she might lose her life against this monster; the sight of her impaled sister enraged her to the point where all she could see was red. For her father, for Neji, for Hanabi…she would have revenge.

However, before Hinata could retaliate on her own, reinforcements arrived. At least ten Hyuuga surrounded the compound, ready to fight and defend their heir. Zetsu, aware that his own chakra stores were dwindling and that ten more Hyuuga were a bit too much for him in his weakened state, disappeared in a cloud of smoke—leaving Hanabi's body behind.

Hinata desperately ran over to her sister, kneeling and weeping openly over her body….her dead body. Neji and Hiashi were helped to their feet by their fellow Hyuuga and Hiashi was helped over to where his daughters were. Hinata glanced up at her father who was stone faced, but obviously distraught. Before turning away from the horrific sight he murmured these words to Hinata:

"Too weak to even fight for your sister…and now she's….because of your weakness…"


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. This is my first fan fiction and I hope you like it. Feedback is much appreciated.

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**Chapter 3: From Pain to Solace**

Leaving from his intervention at the Hokage's mansion, Naruto lumbered back towards his home even more perplexed than he was at the beginning of the day. The night air was warm and uncomfortable, but still better than the agonizing atmosphere from which he had just departed. Eyes fixed on the ground, he had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Usually if he had any feeling in his stomach it was hunger, but this was a different feeling, a kind of uneasiness that made the shinobi a bit nauseous. He hadn't eaten anything abnormal that day, but his mind was plagued with several abnormal thoughts. There were people who obviously believed in his abilities and knowing that gave him a sense of power, but at the same time he felt helpless because of what happened with Sasuke…and with Sakura…

He gripped at the folded letter occupying his pocket and suddenly it hit him like a ton of bricks…_'I'm angry…'_ It had been obvious to Naruto that he was hurt by what his friends had done, but it had never crossed his mind that he should be mad at them. However, there he was, standing in the middle of Konoha…mad as hell.

'_How could Sasuke just leave again and not even acknowledge what I did for him?'_ After all, in the fight between Sasuke and Itachi, Sasuke had been out classed by his older and still more experienced brother. The only reason Sasuke had even made it out alive is because Naruto arrived in the nick of time ready to fight an already weakened Itachi who had no choice but to withdraw. At the very least, Sasuke owed Naruto a goodbye if not an explanation. But no, there was nothing, no sign at all that his existence meant anything to Sasuke.

'_And Sakura-chan…this damned letter…'_

His stomach was doing summersaults at this point and his head began to pulse as red chakra began to bubble from his body. Blurred by puffs of red, his grasp on reality was fading. However, just as quickly as his anger had spawned this unnatural reaction, he was brought back to reality by the unusual sight in front of him.

Long dark hair flowing behind her, blood covering her face and body, the girl sped through the streets of the village with tears streaking along her bloodied face.

'_Hinata?'_

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There was a small lake just outside of the gates of Konoha that Hinata visited frequently on her own to train and to meditate. In her current state, she could think of no other place to go that would shelter her from the reality of what had happened that night.

Along the banks of the lake, she sprawled her body on the ground and allowed her tears to seep into the cool sand. A combination of blood, tears, and sand rendered the poor girl a complete mess. On top of that, the warm air made the mixture of these elements extremely sticky. However, she had no feeling of how uncomfortable she was on the outside; inside her world was falling apart. So consumed in her thoughts, her heightened senses did not detect the person closing in on her position from behind.

All of a sudden a hand was upon her shoulder and, in surprise, Hinata quickly turned around and found herself gazing into a familiar set of blue eyes.

"Hinata-chan?"

'_Whoa…she looks how I feel.'_

"N-Naruto-kun."

Suddenly aware of her appearance, Hinata's gaze sank back to the ground. Of all people, she didn't want Naruto to see her like this. Feelings of self-consciousness and insecurity began to invade her mind.

Taking in her appearance and noticing her reaction to his arrival, Naruto, somewhat uncharacteristically, did not say a word. If Hinata did indeed feel as badly as he did, there was nothing that could be said that would really make a difference. So instead, he got up, pulled a handkerchief out of his back pocket, and proceeded to dip it into water of the lake. Returning to a now sitting Hinata's side, Naruto lifted her chin with one hand and began to wipe away the mixture of sand, blood, and tears from her face.

"You know…you're too pretty to be such a mess," Naruto chuckled softly.

Hinata's cheeks reddened as her lavender eyes were reunited with his deep blue eyes. He was being so gentle with her, so kind. For a brief moment, it seemed as though all the pain caused by the terror of the night had retreated from her mind and her body.

"May I?" Naruto said as he motioned to unzip Hinata's jacket. After receiving her nonverbal approval, Naruto removed the blood soaked piece of clothing and replaced it with his own jacket. Again, he returned to the waters of the lake and began scrubbing blood off of Hinata's coat. Without the proper cleaning materials, there was only so much he could do, but he figured it would be best to try and wash off as much blood as he could before the stains set in permanently.

Hanging the jacket on the limb of a nearby tree, Naruto repositioned himself next to Hinata and the two sat there for the next couple of moments in complete silence. Somehow, they both needed this: the quiet, the warm air giving way to a gentle night breeze, the presence of another individual as broken as they were. Their spirits needed this time to heal. However, after some time had passed, Naruto broke the silence.

"Maybe we should be getting back to the village?"

"No!!!"

Her reaction was so forceful that it caught Naruto off guard. He had never seen Hinata like this before and his concern for the girl increased with each passing moment.

"Your family is probably worried about you. You should at least go back to let them know that you are alright."

Softer, Hinata replied, "I don't ever want to go back…ever."

This last statement struck Naruto as being a bit to close to home. Another person wanting to leave the village; why, why, why was everyone trying to leave Konoha…trying to leave him?

"That sentiment seems to be popular lately…" Naruto said as he pulled Sakura's letter out of his pocket and handed it over to a now curious Hinata.

_Naruto, _

_I know you probably think it's for the best that Sasuke stay in Konoha, but he doesn't want to be here and there's no way anyone would be able to force him to stay. So, I am helping him escape for his own good, for your own good, and because I love him and my heart can't bear to be separated from him any longer._

_Please Forgive Me,_

_Sakura_

Seeing she had finished reading the letter, Naruto began to speak again.

"Hinata, there is so much wrong with this letter that its difficult for me to understand how someone I trusted so much could write such a thing. Not only does it show that she didn't trust in my abilities to keep Sasuke in the village, but it also shows…that she doesn't love me, not like she loves him. But most of all, the nerve of this letter hurts me. It was selfish of her to leave me and it was selfish for Sasuke to leave in search of Itachi, again. They think what they're doing is for the best…the best for who…not for the loved ones they leave behind. If you're planning on leaving the village, just know that your decision won't just affect you, but the people you leave behind…and Hinata…I'd like to think that your not as selfish as all that."

Processing Naruto's words, Hinata's face began to burn as she was on the verge of crying again. Suddenly, in a burst of passion and confusion, she rapidly began speaking, telling Naruto about all the horrible events that had occurred at the Hyuuga household previously that night. As she finished, she could no longer hold in her tears and she began sobbing uncontrollably.

Without thinking, Naruto grabbed Hinata forcefully and pulled her into a deep embrace. She wept into his chest without giving any thought to being embarrassed or insecure because at that very moment, nothing else in the world mattered.

As Hinata's tears began to subside she broke free of Naruto's arms and whimpered, "I will return to the village tomorrow Naruto-kun…but for tonight…just for tonight…I want to stay here by this lake…"

"As long as I get to stay here with you."

For the first time that night Hinata let out a small smile.

"Hai, Naruto-kun."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. This is my first fan fiction and I hope you like it. Feedback is much appreciated.

Author's Note: I just want to thank those who gave me reviews. Keep 'em coming. Since this is my first fan fic, feedback will most definitely be taken into consideration.

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**Chapter 4: From Old to New**

"Sasuke-kun?"

"We're almost there," Sasuke replied flatly as the two missing nin crept down a dark corridor towards one of Orochimaru's old bases. "Before pursuing Itachi my team and I designated this location as a rendezvous point in the event that we became separated. Initially there were four of us, but Jugo got careless…"

Sakura's gaze drifted downward as the idea of Sasuke forming another team tugged at her heart strings. _'He really formed another team. Weren't we good enough…Sasuke-kun?" _Allowing her thoughts to venture elsewhere and taking notice of the ground beneath her, she saw that the floor of the cavern was soft and damp under her feet causing a residue to form at the bottom of her boots. It was evident to her that there was an underground waterway nearby causing the buildup of water on the ground and the accumulation of water sticking onto the stone walls around them. _"No wonder they were so hard to locate. Multiple bases, some of which are hidden underground and shielded by dense waterways…it would take a more than exception shinobi to find such a place."_

Moving onward in silence, the two eventually reached a wooden door at the end of the corridor. Sasuke placed his hand on the handle of the door and hesitated for a moment before proceeding to reveal what was on the other side. In that moment, his gaze drifted back to Sakura. If one didn't know any better, his eyes seemed to convey a hint of concern for the girl who stood behind him, patiently awaiting his next move. However, before Sakura could evaluate the meaning behind the look in his eyes, Sasuke had proceeded forward.

Glancing back into the corridor one last time, Sakura took in a deep breath and thought to herself: _'Oh well Sakura, welcome to the other side.' _Then, returning her attention to Sasuke's location behind the entrance, Sakura was taken aback by the sight in front of her.

"Sasuke!!!" Inside the wooden room a scantily dressed red-head had attached herself to Sasuke's arm, fawning all over the shinobi who did not seem surprised at all. "I've been waiting for that sexy backside to come walking through that door…and into my bed…Soooo, one down, one to go. Please don't disappoint." Adjusting her stance and noticing Sakura for the first time, Karin quipped, "Who's the billboard brow?"

Without removing the girl from his arm Sasuke introduced the girls quickly, "Sakura, Karin…Karin, Sakura."

"Sakura, huh? What a beautiful name for such a beautiful flower…and by flower, I mean you because flowers are pretty and you're pretty. So, you're like a flower…a flower that looks like it needs a little pollina---"

"Stick it Suigetsu," Sasuke interrupted finally squirming away from Karin and making himself comfortable in a chair across the room. "Sakura will be joining us for the time being, got it?"

"Bringing in a new dame just to make me jealous huh? Oh Sasuke!!! Who knew you'd stoop so low to win my heart? Just don't push me too far, I might have to kill her."

"I don't know Karin, she looks like she could hold her own against you and besides, Sasuke wouldn't bring a weakling along to join us. Yep, I bet she's as tough as she is beautiful," Suigetsu replied.

"What that big headed, sugary sweet little girl? Why I bet I could take her in…."

Looking on at the two individuals squabbling in the middle of the room, Sakura suddenly felt uncomfortable in her own skin as the reality of the situation struck her like a ton of bricks. _"I'm standing in a room of strangers." _Even Sasuke was a different person than the boy she had known growing up and it was almost as if she didn't know him at all. _"I left my home and my family for a boy that may not even exist anymore."_

"…and she's definitely not enough woman for Sasuke, isn't that right babe," Karin continued to blab on in an obvious attempt to show her feathers, intimidate Sakura, and stake her ground.

"Enough," Sasuke chimed in ignoring Karin's last remark. "We have work to do and we don't have time to play around. Itachi's still out there and I won't be satisfied until he is dead.

"So what's the plan," Suigetsu inquired.

"While I was in Konoha, I was able to come into the possession of some of the Uchiha clan scrolls," Sasuke rose out of his seat and headed towards the door at the opposite end of the room. "For the moment sit tight, train, or do whatever it is that you do while I look for any information concerning the Mangekyo Sharingan and how I might come to receive its power."

"And what about little miss cherry blossom over here," Karin quipped motioning over to Sakura.

Sakura recoiled at this last jab by Karin, but acknowledged that it was indeed a good question. What purpose, what role would she play in Sasuke's group? Would she be useful or would she simply be in the way, clinging onto Sasuke and getting in the way as usual? _'No, no I won't be useless. Man up Sakura. This isn't playtime anymore. If you want to help Sasuke and if you want him to notice you, you have to be more…well…more like her I guess.'_

"Don't worry about me. I've got medical ninjutsu to work on," Sakura countered. "Why don't you stop drooling all over Sasuke and worry about yourself…after you find the rest of your outfit or, better yet, after you find a new one altogether." Internally, Sakura patted herself on the back for retaliating against Karin. _'Alright Sakura, lets go!!!'_

Obviously caught off guard by Sakura's words, an embarrassed Karin turned around in a huff. Suigetsu was simply encouraged to continue looking on at the pink haired medical nin with even more lust in his eyes. And Sasuke, unbeknownst to anyone else, let out a small smirk as he exited the room.

'_There's the Sakura I used to know."_

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Back in her room at the Hyuuga compound, Hinata lay across her soft bed and peered out of a window slightly above her noticing how absolutely quiet her home was that day. Neji was in the hospital, her father was locked away in his quarters recovering, and the rest of the Hyuugas were busying themselves with the funeral arrangements. So, there she lay alone, in sharp and frustrated silence.

From her position, all she could see through her window were clouds that slowly wafted in and out of her view. She entertained the thought of how nice it would be to be a cloud; light, unburdened, peaceful, simply drifting along and taking in the beauty of the Earth without becoming a part of its inner calamity. But instead, she felt weighed down by the pain and heartache in her life. She wasn't drifting smoothly along, but rather was sinking in her own sorrow; sinking and drowning with no form of relief to bring her afloat. _'It hasn't been this quiet since mother passed away.'_

Sitting upright, Hinata glanced over at a stack of clothes folded in the corner of the room. Her mind was taken back to the night before when Naruto had taken such good care of her and her things. Hoping to return the favor, the first thing that she did once she arrived back at the compound in the morning was to wash his jacket, his handkerchief, and to rewash her own jacket; each of which comprised the pile of folded clothes that she currently turned her attention to. _'I should go and return these to him.'_

Picking up his jacket and his handkerchief, Hinata proceeded to exit her room and then hesitated. Without another thought, she instinctively walked over to her bed, placed the handkerchief under her pillow, turned, and left the room with only Naruto's jacket in hand. Walking down the hallway she was approached by one of the household's attendants.

"Hinata-sama, your father has asked for you."

"Hai." Hinata changed direction and headed towards her father's chambers. With each step her mind became heavier and heavier. Anxiety rushed across her body as thoughts about what her father would say or do frightened her to the point where she actually considered turning and running away. However, a sense of duty drove her onward until she found herself kneeling at the foot of his bed.

"Hinata," her father addressed her in a cold manner like that of a general addressing his troops. "I've had this letter drafted for the Hokage. Take it to her and wait for her subsequent instructions. Do not read the letter as it is for the Hokage's eyes only."

Hinata opened her mouth as if to speak, but Hiashi interrupted her before she could even begin while handing her the letter, "That is all for now. You may leave me now."

"Hai." She rose to her feet and exited the room closing the door behind her. With Naruto's jacket in one hand and the Hokage's letter in the other, Hinata thought to herself, _'Perhaps I should go to Tsunade-sama's first.'_

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Tsunade glanced up from the mound of paperwork on her desk and breathed in deeply as Shizune entered the room with another large stack of folders piled up in her hands.

"Tsunade-sama, I have the ANBU reports for you to go over," Shizune chirped as she entered the room. Discerning from Tsunade's less than enthusiastic response that this was not something that she wanted to discuss, Shizune changed the subject. "Err…and I saw Hinata on her way out. She's looking well considering what's happened. What did she want?"

The aggravation on Tsunade's face gave way to concern as she took in Shizune's question. Without a word she flicked the letter Hinata had brought in from the top of the stack of paperwork on her desk. Shizune gripped the letter and began reading. The smile began to fade from her face as she skimmed through the letter. Upon finishing, she looked up at Tsunade in disbelief. "But she didn't look saddened when I saw her. Does she know?"

"No, not yet," Tsunade replied. "I sent her to go and gather together Team 8, Team 10, Team Gai with the exception of Neji who's in the hospital, and what's left of Team 7 for a meeting here in two hours. With the recent string of events, all of these teams will be affected."

"I see. That makes sense. In order for these teams to be as operational and efficient as possible some rearrangements will need to be made."

"I'm hoping that some of these changes will be temporary, but some of these teams have been incomplete for a while now. With Sasuke missing, Sakura missing, Asuma dead, Kurenai retired to raise her child with at least one parent, and now…" Tsunade hesitated in obvious frustration with the rate at which her shinobi numbers were dwindling.

"And now Hinata can no longer serve as a shinobi…things are definitely going to have to change."

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	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. This is my first fan fiction and I hope you like it. Feedback is much appreciated.

Hey guys!!! I know its been awhile, but you know how it is sometimes. I really appreciate the reviews I've gotten. Keep 'em coming please.

Hope you enjoy!!!

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**Chapter Five: From Old to New**

The ten shinobi stood outside the Hokage's office waiting to be called in for their meeting. Typically they would be causing quite a commotion gathered together like this, but instead an awkward silence filled the air. A quiet Naruto was the main contributor to this unusual set of circumstances. Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, he shocked some of his peers with this change in his usual behavior. Worry filled their hearts as they figured something must be seriously wrong. After all, a silent Naruto plus a surprise meeting called by the Hokage couldn't possibly mean anything good.

The other contributor to this somber atmosphere was the concern the shinobi had for their comrade Hinata. It wasn't anything abnormal for her to be quiet, but it was evident that she was trying to conceal her pain. Usually her face conveyed a jovial type of kindness and her friends could tell based on her facial expression whether or not she was alright, but now her face was unreadable. Without a means of knowing what was going on inside her head, the shinobi stood there feeling helpless, unsure of how to aid their obviously distressed friend.

Breaking the silence, Shizune opened the door from the Hokage's office, "Hinata, the Hokage will see you now." Leaving her friends behind, Hinata slowly entered the office closing the door behind her. Upon entering the room, she looked around to see a number of stern faces gazing back at her. _'Anko-san, Kakashi-sensei, Yamato-san, Gai-sensei, and…Kurenai-sensei???'_

"Hinata," Tsunade interrupted the girl's train of thought. "Hinata, since I met you first, you have grown into quite a beautiful young woman and into a strong koinichi. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that you have exceeded my expectations. Not all chuunin show as much promise as you do…and that's what makes this task especially difficult for me…"

Kurenai's glance darted to the ground as she prepared for what was coming next. Nothing escaping her Hyuuga eyes, Hinata noticed her sensei's reaction and worry began to fill her heart. _'What's happening?"_

"Your father has mandated that you be withdrawn from the ranks of Konoha shinobi..." Wanting to make this as painless as possible, Tsunade continued speaking in order to get it all out and into the open at once. "As you are the last and only Hyuuga heir, he wants to ensure that the bloodline lives on. You understand don't you Hinata? Your life has to continue in order for the Hyuuga clan to have a future. The life of a shinobi is dangerous and should something happen to you while you were away on a mission, that would mean the demise of your clan…Therefore, to keep your life safe and your clan prosperous, you can no longer serve the Leaf as a ninja…I'm sorry…"

The world was spinning. Hinata couldn't think, she couldn't feel. All that she was aware of at that point in time was that the world was spinning. A sick feeling began to build in the pit of her stomach. She reached her arm out into the air, directed at nothing in particular, as if she was trying to reach out for something to keep her from falling. About to keel over, she felt a hand take her by the arm. It was Kurenai. _'So…that's why she's here."_

Tsunade continued. "I've called your comrades here today because, with the recent loses, I have to rearrange some of the teams. As you know, they're waiting outside, but if you'd like to stay and talk with me, I'd be more than happy to discuss the situation with you. I also called Kurenai here today if you'd rather leave now and speak with her instead. Whatever you want to do…the balls in your court."

Hinata began to regain a sense of where she was in the world. Her mind began to comprehend what this drastic change would mean for her life. _'I'm no longer a shinobi…but I am a shinobi at heart…but, if I'm no longer a shinobi, who am I?_' However, what disappointed the young girl most was that she would be unable to get stronger, unable to prove herself to her father, and unable to take revenge for Hanabi's life.

Breaking away from her thoughts and mustering up the strength to speak, Hinata responded to the Hokage. "Tsunade-sama, at least…at least let me stay…stay to find out what's going to happen to my friends."

"Alright," Tsunade replied as she motioned over to Shizune to let the others in. One by one they filed into the room taking notice of the individuals already present in the room. Reading her body language, Kiba positioned himself next to Hinata and took hold of her hand in much the same way the Kurenai was holding her other hand. He couldn't bear to see her in such pain and he couldn't bear being unable to help one of his closest friends.

Addressing the entire group Tsunade began explaining the situation, "I've called you all here today in order to make you aware of some upcoming changes in team composition. As you all probably know, certain shinobi have gone missing in recent weeks and their absences, coupled with a death and a recent retirement, have left some teams with gaps that need to be filled. With that said, Team Kakashi please step forward."

Kakashi, Yamato, Sai, and Naruto stepped forward.

"This team will undergo very little change compared to the other groups because of Naruto's special circumstances. For obvious reasons Kakashi and Yamato must stay with Naruto and, because of the ANBU leader, Sai and Naruto cannot be separated. So, for the time being, you all are to remain together. You may step back. Team Ten, please step forward."

Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino stepped forward.

"While you are capable and strong team, it still stands that with Asuma's death, there is no Jonin leader to accompany you on your missions. A Jonin is an integral part of each team as they provide the experience necessary to handle many different situations. So, I have no choice but to assign you a new leader. I know no one can replace Asuma in your hearts, but someone has to replace him on your team. Therefore, Anko is to be your new leader. You may step back. Will the two remaining teams step forward."

Shino, Kiba, and Team Gai stepped forward. Kiba noticed that rather than come forward, Hinata merely released his hand and remained where she stood. _'That's not a good sign.' _

"Team Gai, I know you must be wondering why I called you here today. Your team is complete and strong on all fronts. However, I have some bad news that indirectly affects your team. As a result of recent events, Hinata can no longer serve as a shinobi."

Shock filled the room, but before there was a chance to respond to this startling revelation, Tsunade had already begun to speak again.

"With her and Kurenai's absence, Team Eight is in definite need of a new member. Not only that, but they need a new leader. With a shortage on available Jonin, we can't be picky with who we place on this team. Neji is a Jonin and he has a similar fighting style to that of Hinata's. Because of this, he will be removed from Team Gai and become the new leader for Team 8."

"But…" Tenten started, but was silenced when Gai placed a hand on her shoulder

"I want to emphasis that these changes do not need to be permanent. If another individual rises to the level of Jonin, there will be more options and more ways to fill the teams. For example, if Shino rises to the level of Jonin then Neji can return to Team Gai and another chuunin can be placed on Team 8 instead. So, I want to encourage all of you to train hard to reach this level. Shikamaru and Shino are the closest to attaining this level at the moment, but you're all capable of doing this. So, work hard."

Tsunade glanced over the young shinobi at that moment aware that she had just dropped a load of heavy information on them. Some of them looked shocked, some of them saddened, the others just looked plain confused…Naruto looked…mad? _'Huh, I wonder what that's about?'_

"If you have any questions please save them for a later time. For the moment I only need Team Kakashi and Hinata to remain. The rest of you are dismissed."

Everyone began filing out of the room. Before leaving, Kurenai and Kiba checked with Hinata one last time to see if she was alright. She nodded in affirmation indicating that it was alright for the two to leave. As soon as the door closed, Naruto let out the anger that he had been holding in.

"Shino and Shikamaru are the closest to being Jonins??? You've got to be kidding me. I am way stronger than the both of them Granny Tsunade and you know it. If you're going to consider anyone for Jonin, it's gonna be me. Believe it!!!"

Tsunade sighed. "Naruto…you're not there…yet." Before he could begin again Tsunade proceeded with the matter at hand. "Naruto…Hinata…we have some serious issues to discuss. It is obvious that Akatsuki is trying to get to you both."

"Akatsuki? But why me?" Hinata questioned.

"We're not sure yet, but the attack on the Hyuuga compound was no accident. There is definitely something that they want. So, you two must be careful and ever mindful of your surroundings. An ANBU is going to be placed on guard at the Hyuuga compound and security around the village's borders is going to be strengthened. Hinata, it is your father's wishes that you not go outside of the village's borders without an authorized escort. Naruto, you're used to being on guard, but don't let up. Understood you two?"

"Hai." The two said in unison.

"Then you are all dismissed." Tsunade leaned back in her chair exhausted from the day's drama and not looking forward to a night full of paperwork. Fatigue written all over her face, she watched as the rest of the shinobi exited the room. She glanced over at Shizune and said simply:

"I'm going out for a drink."

Shizune's face hit the ground. _'She can be so serious and mature one second and then bam…same old Tsunade-sama."_

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Outside the Hokage's mansion, Kakashi and Yamato split ways with Sai, Naruto, and Hinata. The three began walking through the village streets in silence. It was getting dark and the night air had filled the atmosphere. Unlike the nights before, it was actually getting quite cool and the chill was exasperated by a slight breeze that wafted through the narrow passage ways of the town. As another gust of wind passed the trio, Naruto let out a slight shudder. Noticing this Hinata suddenly remembered something.

"Naruto-kun, I-I almost forgot." Hinata reached into her bag and pulled out his signature black and orange jacket. "T-thank you so much for loaning it to me Naruto-kun. Don't worry, its been washed," Hinata whispered obviously embarrassed at how this might look to Sai.

Sai merely raised an eyebrow as Naruto graciously took his jacket. "Thank you, Hinata-chan." The three continued on in silence. Hinata looked up into the sky and noticed that even in the night she could still see the clouds drifting slowly by overhead. _'What do I do now?'_

Just then the silence was interrupted by a familiar sound…the sound of hunger. Naruto's stomach churned and growled within him. Simultaneously, his face turned a shade of red.

"Uhhh, hehe…guess I'm hungry guys…anybody up for some ramen?"

Sai simply nodded in affirmation, but Hinata was caught off guard. The idea of going out to eat with Naruto, even if Sai was there, made her extremely anxious. Her face reddened…

"Well, I….well, I'm not sure…you see my father's probab—"

Before she could finish, Naruto had grabbed her by the arm and was dragging her in the direction of Ichiraku. "Oh, come on Hinata. You're not going to make me eat with Sai alone…people might get the wrong idea, heh. I'll explain to your father if we are late. I'm sure he'll understand!!!"

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The three arrived and made their orders. Sai was sitting in the middle because Hinata had intentionally positioned herself away from Naruto. Sure, she would have liked to sit next to him…the night they were together at the lake she enjoyed being so close to him, but now…now she couldn't bring herself to be so near to him.

An awkward silence filled the air as they waited for their food, but it was broken by the most unlikely person of the three to make conversation…Sai.

"Hinata, what do you think that you will do now that you're no longer a shinobi?"

"….I-I wish I knew Sai-kun…but…"

"Please, go on."

"…well, I know I will have to lead my clan, but it will be hard—it will be hard to lead people who have no respect for me…I-I was hoping that as my fighting skills improved and as I become victorious in battle that my clan would acknowledge me, but as I am now…as a weak failure…they'd sooner have Neji lead…they'd rather have anybody lead over me…"

"I read that in times such as this, a smile can help encourage someone in pain…so all I can offer you is a smile, and trust me, I make this smile in earnest," Sai stated as a smile spread across his pale lips.

"At least," Naruto interrupted, "At least you can say that if you continued training, it would make a difference. Even though I've trained hard, granny Tsunade still considers me weaker than Shino and Shikamaru. Even though I've trained hard, I can not protect my friends and keep them safe…they just end up leaving me, as if I mean nothing to them…"

'_Naruto-kun'_

Sai started, "I don't believe Hokage-Sama thinks you're weaker than those two. Additionally, Sasuke and Sakura left on their own accord…your strength had nothing to do with it. The problem is your---"

"My what???"

"You know, you two are in a position to help each other out. Just think about this. Hinata, your weakness is that you are not confident in your abilities. Consequently, a lack of confidence can negatively affect your abilities as a shinobi. On the other hand, Naruto, you have too much confidence, you are a hothead, and you are far too mentally immature to use your abilities effectively even though you obviously have the strength."

"WHAT??? I'm not mentally immature. You're the one who's mentally immature…no wait…your just plain stupid, that's right stupid, you're just an asshole."

"As I was saying, you two lack what the other has a large amount of. Hinata you are calm and Naruto you are not. Naruto you are confident and Hinata you are not. You two should really consider taking some extra time to train one another in your particular gift. That way, you both will be steps closer to becoming a complete shinobi."

"…but…I'm no longer a shinobi," Hinata squeaked, "and…and…my father would probably think that training for nothing….is a waste of time."

"Hinata," Naruto stood up from his seat, "as the first phase of your confidence training, you are going to stop putting so much weight into what your father thinks and give your own thoughts a chance!!!"

Hinata stared at him, aware that he had just agreed to train with her. She peered into her lap and thought about the last couple of days. Her mind drifted to Hanabi to Akatsuki…and then to Naruto. Determination filled her spirit.

"Hai, Naruto-kun."

The three sat there that night, discussing their plan of action for the upcoming future and finishing their meal. It was the first time in a while that both Naruto and Hinata were so engaged in what they were doing that they momentarily forgot their inner turmoil.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. This is my first fan fiction and I hope you like it. Feedback is much appreciated.

Wow!!! I can't believe I finished another chapter so quickly. Thanks for the reviews.

Hope you enjoy!!!

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**Chapter Six: From Thought to Action**

"Pein-sama." Zetsu hesitantly approached his leader.

"Speak."

"Because of my failure, it seems that the Leaf has increased its security around its borders and around the Hyuuga compound. Breaking in and taking the girl from a village with such strong shinobi might prove to be too difficult a task…what…what should our next plan of action be?"

Turing slightly, Pein addressed a female figure standing behind him. "Perhaps you will come in handy after all…"

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"Hey Sasuke," Suigetsu waited outside the closed door, "You've been in there for a couple of days now….and well…well, I'm bored. I didn't sign on for this. I need some action in my life ya know and waiting for you is….well, I'm bored…"

There was no response. Suigetsu bowed his head in frustration. "I wonder if he's even alive in there."

"He's fine," Karin replied as she passed by. "I can feel his chakra remember. As for you being bored, maybe you should entertain yourself. Sasuke's not your mommy after all."

"I know!!! But if I leave, and he finally decides to leave, I'm gonna miss out on the action. So, I'm stuck here…waiting…doing nothing…unless…."

"What?"

"Where's that pink-haired girl gone off to? I'm sure we could fill the time with something…engaging."

"She went off to train remember. Although, it has been awhile since I've seen her…wonder what she's up to?"

Neither wanting to put in the effort of actually finding Sakura, they both went on about their own business…or lack thereof. In the other room, Sasuke cursed under his breath. After a thorough evaluation of the Uchiha scrolls, he was disappointed at the only method offered for obtaining the Mangekyo Sharingan.

_'This can't be the only way…there has to be another way to gain power…but how…and who can I use in order to get what I want…'_

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"Ok Naruto-kun." Hinata spoke softly as the two sat on the outskirts of town. "Close your eyes…take in a deep breath….and imagine yourself in combat."

It hadn't been easy for the two to get where they were now, safely nestled by the lake that Hinata used to frequent for individual training when she was a shinobi. First of all, they had to come up with a good excuse for Hinata leaving the Hyuuga compound. The best lie that she could muster was that she was helping Ino down at the flower shop—a rare place for her father or Neji to visit. Secondly, they had to sneak past security on the outside of town as well. Neither was supposed to be outside the town gates on their own, but with Sai's help, they managed to succeed in doing just that.

Because of the difficulty of meeting, however, they could only meet twice a week. So, they dedicated themselves to working as hard as possible whenever they could train together.

Hinata was in the process of introducing Naruto to some Hyuuga style meditation. She had attempted to explain it to Naruto before beginning and he had pretended to understand, but it was obvious to her that he did not.

The meditation process that Hinata was introducing was one that she had done often as a child. It could only be done with a Hyuuga observer present. The person in meditation had to mediate on an intense battle in their minds while a Hyuuga took notice of how their chakra network responded to the combat experience. A focused, calm shinobi typically has a chakra network that swirls smoothly and slowly. Like the heartbeat, chakra can increase and decrease in speed based on the shinobi's state of mind. However, most shinobi have networks that swirl at a quick pace. Mainly Hyuuga, because of this training, and a few exception fighters had networks that remained slow. Hinata hoped that Naruto could become one of these exceptional fighters.

Halfway through their training session, Hinata and Naruto switched roles of teacher and student. Naruto had never trained anyone before and training someone to be confident was a difficult task indeed. He did not know where to begin, but after some thought he had a vague idea of what to do.

"Alright Hinata," Naruto said calmly, "prepare yourself."

The two took a fighting stance.

"Kage Bushin No Jutsu."

All of a sudden there were at least a hundred Naruto's surrounding them, all poised and ready for attack. _'Hinata… confidence in yourself means believing in yourself so much that even when the chips are stacked against you, you still believe you can win…its 100 versus one…do you believe?'_

Hinata stared. She was frozen in place. Her face reddened. Then….she passed out.

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A couple weeks passed without incident and the two had made great strides in their training. Hinata had noticed that Naruto's chakra was beginning to change pace ever so slightly and Hinata, still daunted by the task of facing a hundred Narutos, had reached the point where she could make it through training without fainting and actually put up a fight.

"There you go Hinata…better!!!" Naruto encouraged her as he helped her off the ground. She had managed to defeat fifteen of the clones before getting knocked violently back down to the Earth.

It was getting late and the two decided to head back to the village. They walked quietly along. Naruto gazed up at the sky in awe of the breathtaking sunset; his blue eyes sparkling from the faint beams of the sun. Out of the corner of her eye, Hinata glanced at Naruto. _'I wonder what he's thinking about." _

She had noticed a definite shift in his behavior since Sakura left. Instead of filling the air with empty conversation, these days he seemed a lot more introspective and thoughtful. She missed the sound of his happy voice, but she appreciated the fact that she was witnessing something remarkable…he was becoming a man. It also comforted her to know that he was comfortable enough around her to be silent. They were both simply content to enjoy each other's company and the presence of someone who was in as much pain as they themselves were.

"Hinata," Naruto broke the silence. "I won't be able to train for a while. I'll be going on a mission with my team in two days. It's an escort mission, but we have to wait for the entire envoy to arrive. Apparently, its royalty and we have to get him and his entourage safely across some war stricken country and deliver him to his own province."

Hinata gazed disappointedly at the ground. She had forgotten about the fact that despite their shared pain, they were both different in one important aspect: Naruto was a shinobi and she was not.

"I-I wish I could come with you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto looked over at her, not wanting her to feel sad in any way.

"Maybe…maybe you can…"

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That very day, while Neji was visiting Shino in the hospital and checking up on him after he had received some pretty serious wounds from their last mission, he bumped into Ino on his way out as she was heading in for her nighttime shift.

"Oh, my bad Neji. I didn't see you there."

"It's alright. I'm glad we ran into each other…gives me the chance to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?"

"Well, I've noticed that Hinata-sama hasn't been so sad lately and I can only surmise that her time in the flower shop has consoled her a bit. You know, Hanabi-sama loved the flowers. It must make her feel close to her to be around them. Anyways, thank you for allowing her to spend some time there with you…"

Neji stopped. Ino looked like she had no idea what he was talking about and that was reason for concern in his eyes.

Feeling that her face had given too much away, Ino began to cover for her friend.

"Oh, yea…hehe…no problem Neji…yea…me and Hinata have been having a good ol' time….potting…and clipping…and girl talk…ya know…hehe…"

Neji's eyes narrowed. "Yes, well, I'll see you later." He turned away not waiting for a response from the blond behind him.

Ino was left there looking at the Jounin as he walked away…

"How…troublesome…."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. This is my first fan fiction and I hope you like it. Feedback is much appreciated.

Good God, another chapter…I've really had nothing to do lately. LoL

Hope you enjoy!!! Please Review!!!

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**Chapter Seven: From Leaf to Lightning**

"Yo, Naruto."

"…Kakashi-sensei…you're late…"

"Ahhh, well you see, I got held up at Tsunade-sama's office and you would never believe what I ran into on the way ove—"

"Save it." The two stood just outside the gate of the village amidst a crowd of unknown faces. Sai and Yamato were speaking with a stately looking middle-aged man with sandy colored hair. By the look of his garb and by the look of how his comrades cowered in his presence, he was undoubtedly the royal they were hired to protect. His robes were a deep shade of purple outlined with rich maroon stripes and strikingly deep blue jewels. Upon his head sat a ridiculously intricate head piece that matched his clothing and made him look at least a foot taller. He held his head high and looked as if he hardly respected the two shinobi standing in front of him. He exuded a complete air of confidence.

"Oi, Kakashi-sensei, would you just look at the size of this envoy…do you think just the four of us can handle such a large group?"

"Well, honestly Naruto, I've had my doubts. So, just in case, I have solicited the help of a couple more shinobi." With this last statement, Kakashi pointed at two shinobi headed in their direction. Naruto shifted his attention to these familiar faces…

'_Oh shit.'_

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The envoy proceeded on their way to the lightening country. The beginning portion of the journey was predicted to be relatively peaceful as they were still within the confines of the fire country. And it was just that. They slowly lumbered along the trail. Friendly banter filled the air, a few persons were caught up in their own daydreams, and two individuals in particular were consumed with worry. It wasn't long before the last few drops of sunlight began to fade on the horizon.

"Alright everyone," Kakashi halted. "We'll set up camp here for the night. Be sure to get a good night's rest. We still have a couple days of travel left, but we still don't know what we will be facing tomorrow."

"Naruto and Sai, help the put up tents for everyone…Neji and Kiba, scout the perimeter and set up traps for intruders just in case"

"Hai," the four said in unison.

After the tents were erected and the traps were laid, the six shinobi gathered around a campfire and filled their empty stomachs with some much needed food. Naruto glanced across the fire at Neji and Kiba. _'Of all the shinobi in all the ninja world, it had to be those two…she's probably freaking out.'_

"Well," Yamato stood up and gave his body a good stretch. "Who's going to volunteer for the first shift—"

"ME," Naruto burst out loudly. "…I…I mean…I'll do it…if no one else wants to do it, then I'll be happy to be the first on lookout…"

His comrades gazed at him in shock. It wasn't like Naruto at all to volunteer for the first watch…or for any work for that matter. If anything, he would be the one who would try to weasel out of taking watch at all. _'Well, it is his first mission since the incident with Sasuke and Sakura…maybe he's taking his duties more seriously…' _Yamato thought to himself.

'_Wow, he really has changed…" _Neji looked on at his friend in astonishment.

Sai and Kakashi merely gave Naruto a sideways look. Kiba grinned inwardly.

"Alright, Naruto it is." Yamato smiled. With this, Naruto headed out and disappeared into the brush leaving the other five behind. Thinking nothing more about it, they settled in for the night.

After about an hour had passed, the crackling of the fire was the only sound that filled the night air. Neji sat peering into the embers, his mind lost in thought.

"Can't sleep?" Neji was almost startled by the voice and looked over at Sai who sat on the other side of the flames, sketching in his notebook.

"Not tonight…not for the last couple of nights."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"…Well…I'm concerned about my cousin. She's been lying to her father…its uncharacteristic for Hinata-sama. Very uncharacteristic…and just this morning before I left the compound…" Neji trailed off, obviously lost in thought and uncomfortable about speaking about a family member with an outsider.

"Never mind, it's nothing. I'm sure she'll be fine."

**flashback**

Neji finished packing his bag and proceeded to Hiashi's chambers to inform his leader that he was headed out on another mission. It was a last minute assignment to escort to an envoy with team Kakashi. He had to hurry. They were probably already waiting for him…despite Kakashi's notorious lateness.

Rushing and not paying attention to his surroundings, he accidentally bumped into Hinata in the hallway.

"Forgive me, Hinata-sama." Neji apologized. "I would talk, but I'm in a hurry…"

"No problem Neji."

This last statement halted Neji in his tracks. "Hinata-sama?"

"Hmm…what's up Neji."

Neji's eyes narrowed. "It's nothing…I'll see you when I get back"

**end flashback**

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Naruto strolled along the outskirts of the campsite, being extra careful not to fall into any of the traps set by his comrades. If he did, he would never hear the end of it from Kiba or Sai. Creeping through the brush, something suddenly caught his eye.

Upon closer inspection he found that this something was in fact a someone. A young woman with curly red hair sat on a large stone in the middle of a clearing. She was wearing a plain brown Kimono similar to the Kimonos the servants of the envoy wore. However, the plainness of her attire looked slightly ridiculous compared to the large amount of make-up smeared on her face.

Naruto crept up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You're supposed to be blending in."

"Naruto-kun!"

"…sitting out here by yourself. What if I'd been one of the others? You'd look completely suspicious."

"well…I…"

"Don't worry about it. I figured you would be out here worrying anyway. Look, just because Neji and Kiba are here, that doesn't mean anything. We'll just go along with the plan and they'll never know the difference. There are so many people here even Gamabunta would blend in, so you'll blend in perfectly…except…"

"What? What?"

"You might want to tone down the make-up…it's a bit obvious."

Hinata blushed. "I-I just thought I needed to hide my face."

"Well, you did a pretty good job of doing that…you look nothing like the beautiful Hyuuga Hinata I'm used to seeing."

Hinata turned two more shades of red.

Desperate to change the subject, Hinata began to speak rapidly making Naruto aware of all her concerns. "Naruto-kun, I should not have come…what can I possibly do out here anyway. If I end up fighting, someone will undoubtedly recognize my fighting style. On top of that, Neji will definitely recognize me and—"

"Hinata, Hinata…calm down. First of all, you're a shinobi and shinobi go on missions. So you are exactly where you're supposed to be. Secondly, if you do end up fighting on this mission, it will be because we are in a tight situation. If that's the case, people will hardly notice your style and if they do, then they will just be happy that you were here to save the day. Finally, Neji won't recognize you because you're going to blend in with all these people and because you're under five coats of make-up…he'll hardly even notice you Red."

"But…Naruto-kun…the biggest problem is Kiba and Akumaru. They know my scent. It's just a matter of time before they pick up on it, if they haven't already."

"Hinata, remember your training. Be confident that everything is going to be o.k. Anyways, it's not like Kiba just goes around sniffing strangers, just stay upwind from him and he'll never notice."

"Give me a little more credit than that buddy."

"Kiba-kun!"

Kiba revealed himself from behind a nearby tree, a smirk spread across his glib face. "I noticed Hinata was with the envoy after about five seconds. Speaking of which, Hinata…you know you aren't supposed to be out here…its too dangerous for you with Akatsuki on you heels."

Hinata looked downward, ashamed that she had been found out. Naruto started to speak, but before he could get a word out, Kiba continued.

"What I mean to say is that it's dangerous for you to rely on this knuckle head. If you wanted to go on a mission, you should have come to me. I would have definitely helped you."

A smile crept onto Hinata's face. She felt extremely lucky to have these two in her life.

"So, you'll keep her cover?"

"Of course. I know Hinata much better than you do Naruto and I know that being on missions is probably the best thing for her…right now and for always. After all, she is a shinobi at heart."

"Thank you, Kiba-kun…just don't tell Neji. It's his duty to obey my father. I don't want to put him in the difficult position of choosing between his duty and my happiness."

"No problem."

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Two days had passed and the envoy was just on the outskirts of the Lightening Country. Hinata had managed to stay a good distance away from Neji at all times. It seemed that Naruto had been right. There were so many people and so many things to be done, that even he barely noticed the disguised Kuinichi.

The only difficulty for Hinata was keeping the envoy members convinced that she was one of them. However, using her intellect, she had developed quite a cover story. She told them her name was Rei and that she had been living in Konoha for the past two years with her aunt. Her parent's had wished her to live there so that she would remain out the harms way as war swept through their own country. Upon hearing that the envoy from her homeland was passing through, she decided to join along and see if her poor parents were still alive—at least, that is what she told them.

Lying was not high on Hinata's list of behaviors, but given her options, she decided to make an exception. Besides, she had become friends with many of the travelers and felt no need to upset the balance that had been created. On top of that, for her it was a good escape from her painful reality to be someone else for a change. It was easier, for some reason, to pretend to be another person altogether.

It was a bit cloudy that day and the air was a bit moist and warm, but the journey nevertheless had a cool, peaceful feel to it. It was almost hard to believe that this was a B-class mission.

Naruto strolled along, lost in his thoughts. _'This is a waste of time…I could be training right now.' _He was brought back to reality by the sound of his name.

"Naruto, I-I have something I would like to speak to you about." The hesitancy in Neji's voice worried Naruto as he directed his attention to his comrade. _'Oh God, has he caught on?'_

"You see that girl over there." Neji motioned over to a familiar red-headed girl wearing a bit too much make-up. Naruto's stomach began doing summersaults. "What do you see?"

"Uhh…well…that one right there? I…I…ummm…you tell me…"

"Well…I can't believe I'm about to say this out loud…I don't know what's come over me, but…I see the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life…"

Naruto hit the ground. _'What, what, what, what.' _Neji never spoke of girls or love or beauty…ever. It was assumed that he and Tenten had something going on, but no one had ever heard Neji declare any romantic sentiment in his life as far as Naruto knew.

"The red-head?"

Neji nodded in affirmation. He was completely straight faced. _'Oh, no…he must be serious. I can't tell him that it's Hinata, but I absolutely cannot allow him to romantically pursue his…his cousin…what should I do…oh no…he's looking at me…he's waiting for a response…THINK NARUTO…THINK…'_

"Well…y-you can't have her…because I saw her first. That's right Hyuuga, she's mine."

Neji's eyes narrowed. Naruto had no idea what was coming next.

Just then, Neji lunged forward and knocked Naruto to the ground. _'Is he seriously going to fight me for her?' _

Looking up at his comrade in shock, Naruto saw a kunai fly by where he had previously been standing. They were under attack…


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Hey Everybody! Remember this is my first fan fiction, so I desperately need feedback to know what's good and what sucks. I'd really appreciate it!!!

Thanks. I hope you enjoy!

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**Chapter Eight: From New to Old**

"Is this what you two have chosen to do with your spare time," Sasuke quipped as he looked upon Suigetsu fast asleep in the corner of the room and upon Karin who was nose deep in a romance novel. Karin redirected her attention to her comrade who stood in the doorway of the room in which he had been engaged in private meditation for almost an entire week.

"Well lover, you were locked away in there for a very long time and I wanted to be right here looking beautiful when you came out. As for him, you know as well as I do that he's a lazy louse. What did you expect him to be doing…something useful?"

Sasuke sat himself in a seat across from Karin and propped his legs up on the round wooden table that separated the two. "That would be asking too much wouldn't it?"

Karin put her book down, planted her elbows on the table, and placed her head in her folded hands all the while shooting Sasuke a seductive glance. "Well, Suigetsu is out for the count and that girl hasn't been around since you went in that room…what, oh what will we do with all this alone time," Karin cooed as she batted her long lashes.

Ignoring her advances, Sasuke changed the subject, "Wake him up, we need to discuss our plans from here on out. I've come to some frustrating conclusions about the Mangekyo Sharingan and based on those conclusions we will have to shift our goals a bit in order to reach the final objective…where's Sakura?"

"Right here, " Sakura chimed in as she entered the room from the outside.

"Well, well, well…look who has decided to grace us with her presence," Karin said as she shook Suigetsu violently out of his sleep. "Wake up Baka. So, Sakura, where have you been? It's a bit hard to believe that you've been training all this time, but it figures that you would show up the moment Sasuke appears like some little groupie."

"No, if I were a groupie I would have been camped outside his room waiting for him to come out…oh wait…that was you." Sakura refocused her attention ignoring Karin's disdainful glare. "Sasuke-kun, what's the plan."

"At the moment there is no real plan, only speculation. Obviously in my recent fight with Itachi he had an advantage—the Mangekyo Sharingan. In order to even the tables, I need to acquire that power. However, the scrolls I acquired make it clear that the key to gaining this power is to kill the person most important to you."

Sakura's eyes widened. _'Is that why…'_

Interrupting her thoughts, Sasuke continued. "No such person exists for me; I have no bonds with anyone resembling the type of love necessary for this action to be successful. So, I'm at a dead end. Itachi is the only person alive who might be able to shed some more light on this process, but obviously asking him for advice is not an option."

"That may not be true…" Sakura whispered.

Sasuke was a bit taken off guard by Sakura's statement, as was everyone else in the room.

"…umm…you do know that he wants to _kill_ Itachi…don't you?" Suigetsu asked with an eyebrow raised.

"No…I mean yes…I mean what I mean to say is…is that Itachi is not the only one who knows about the Mangekyo Sharingan…well, umm…."

"Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke filled in the blank. "Are you seriously trying to tell me that he is able..." Sasuke gritted his teeth in visible frustration. "A non-clan member…Sakura, this is no time for jokes."

Sakura bent her head in disgrace knowing that the next words she uttered would be a deep betrayal of her sensei. "It's no joke."

"Well good," Suigetsu interrupted. "So, all that's left to do is to go over to the Leaf, snag this Kakashi guy, and force him to reveal the secrets of the Mangi Sharigun. Problem solved."

"Crude and ignorant as that may sound, I agree. But since Sasuke can't step foot in Konoha, you two should go and bring him back while Sasuke and I hold down the fort." Karin stated as she batted her eyes innocently.

"It's not that easy." Sakura burst out louder than she had intended. Aware of this she returned her gaze to the ground and quietly resumed speaking. "Kakashi-sensei is too strong to be forced to go anywhere or to do anything. It just can't be done."

"So, what it sounds like you're saying is that this mission would require stealth instead of brute force. Hmm…if only there were someone who could get close to this Kakashi person without raising suspicion….hmmm….if only there were someone who could use this mission to prove to her new comrades that she is trustworthy despite her recent shady behavior and disappearance….hmm…if only…"

"Enough Karin," Sasuke interrupted.

"No…she's right." Backtracking, Sakura realized that in order for her true intentions to be served, she absolutely needed to keep the trust of Sasuke and those around him. "I'll do it. I'll return to the village and either discover the secret of the Mangekyo Sharingan or bring Kakashi here so you can question him yourself."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Everyone just needs to hold on. Remember that I am making the decisions around here and I think this whole plan is ludicrous and unnecessary. If Kakashi can figure it out, then surely I can do so without his help."

"Sasuke-kun, it's alright. Let me be of some use to you. I believe that you can do it yourself, but with sensei's help the process might be quicker" Not waiting for a response, Sakura turned and began to gather her belongings. "I'll head out right away."

Taken aback by her resolve, Sasuke opted to let her do as she wished.

Outside it was a brilliantly blue day, a drastic contrast to the confines of the dark hideout which the reengage shinobi had been locked away in. Sakura stepped out onto the fresh grass outside the cave walls with Sasuke trailing close behind.

"You don't have to do this you know."

"Sasuke-kun." Sakura serenely addressed him as she turned around and, in a moment of boldness, stepped nearer to the noticeably tall young man. "It may seem strange to you, but I just want to do whatever I can…." She grew bolder and laid her hand gently upon his face. "…whatever I can to help you, to be useful to you. I refuse to be useless to another person that I care for…"

The two stood there for a moment as a gentle breeze swept the surrounding leaves off the ground. Their hair swirled in the wind, but neither dared to interrupt the moment by pushing the strands away from their faces. Sakura's emerald eyes sparkled as she gazed upon the object of her affection, upon the boy she had dreamt of since childhood.

Sasuke raised his arm and placed his hand onto of hers. For a moment, Sakura could swear that she saw affection and longing in his eyes. Taking his uncharacteristic response as a call to action, she became even more emboldened, rose up on her tiptoes, and allowed her supple lips to drift upward waiting for a response…waiting…lingering…

Suddenly, the grasp on her hand tightened and then released completely. She opened her eyes just in time to see Sasuke turn away. As he walked back to the corridor's entrance, he spoke matter-of-factly: "If you feel that you must prove yourself to Karin and Suigetsu, by all means prove yourself, but know this." He turned slightly. "You needn't try and prove yourself with me…"

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"Kage Bushin No Jutsu." It had not taken long for the Leaf ninja to mobilize after being ambushed by lightening country rebels. Despite the awkward situation that had just occurred between Naruto and Neji, the two sprung into action without missing a beat. Hinata helped members of the envoy get out of the line of fire and into a safer position. The rest of the shinobi helped to make quick work of the invaders. It wasn't much of a battle.

"That was a bit too easy Sempei," Yamato said as he tied together two lackluster shinobi.

"Hai," Kakashi responded. "Undoubtedly they were just sent to gather reconnaissance. Their reinforcements will probably come looking for them when they fail to return. However, according to our intelligence, their base of operations is just over that ridge in the distance."

"Hm, so we should reach our final destination before they have time to catch up with us," Sai chimed in.

"Exactly, but we will undoubtedly run into them on the way back to Konoha."

_'On the way back,' _Kiba mused to himself. Then it struck him. "Well, umm…before we head back perhaps me and Naruto should check the surrounding area to see whether or not there are any more enemies lingering around."

Before Kakashi had a chance to respond, Kiba was already dragging his blond haired comrade into the brush.

Once separated from the rest of the group, a frustrated Naruto barked, "Hey Kiba, would you let go of my arm. How can I look for enemies when you're latched onto me?"

"Shut-up Baka. We're not here to look for enemies." Naruto gave him a bewildered look. Because of you, Hinata is in a terrible predicament."

"Whaa? Oh, if this is about Neji being in love with her, don't worry…I've got it covered."

"N-Neji's in lov—" Kiba stuttered.

"Well, not in love with Hinata exactly, but with the red-headed girl from the lightening country. No worries, he thinks that I love her too…"

Kiba scratched his head in confusion and groaned inwardly. "Naruto you baka…first off, do you think Neji is afraid of you. If he wants the red-headed girl from the envoy, he will pursue her without even thinking about you. Secondly, that is not why I brought you out here. I wanted to ask you…did you and Hinata even plan how she would return home without being found out?"

"Err-umm…"

"Baka," Kiba threw up his hands in disbelief. "I'd expect this from you, but not from Hinata. For her sake I hope you're not rubbing off on her."

Naruto couldn't help but fell dejected. It seemed like such a good idea at the time, but he had the feeling that things were headed for the worst. "Well, what should we do?"

Kiba sat on a nearby stump and scratched his head. Naruto looked at him as the wheels turned in his head. After a few minutes, Naruto broke the silence. "Kiba, the others will be expecting us back. We can't sit out here forever."

"Ok, ok, ok. I've come up with a plan, but I don't like it. I doubt that Hinata will like it either, but it's all I can think of at this point." Kiba looked up into the sky, obviously perturbed about the conclusion he had arrived at. "…you two have to…ya know…pretend to be in love."

Naruto reddened, but remained silent while Kiba continued.

"Let me explain. One, Neji's advances would be blocked if he thought that she preferred you to him. He's too honorable to interfere with…" Kiba cringed. This sounded so juvenile and cliché, "…true love. Secondly, it would give her a reason to return to our village. You would just have to explain to Kakashi-sensei that you've found the love of you life and that you can't live without her. That would allow her to travel back with us. Once we arrive in Konoha, you two can have a fight or break-up or something and the red-head can quietly disappear…but the key to this whole plan is to make it believable…so…what do you think…"

"We don't have a choice do we. It would be too dangerous for her to travel back alone…but ummm…hehe…could you…I mean, could you tell her about the plan…it's a little embarrassing…I don't want her to think that I'm coming on to her…"

Kiba groaned. It was all so troublesome, but at least the next couple of days would be amusing.

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Just outside the envoy's homeland, the ninja squad set up camp for one last time. Kiba had informed Hinata of the plan and she reacted in the way Kiba had expected. She became flush and passed out at the thought—at the thought of Neji being attracted to her and at the thought of having to play lovey-dovey with Naruto, but Kiba knew that she understood that it was a necessary course of action

The night sky was still and clear as the stars sparkled splendidly while sparks from the fire rose in a futile attempt to drift to those heavenly heights. Neji had taken the first night watch and the rest of the men sat around the fire finishing a meal of grilled fish. Naruto broke the silence.

"Oi, Kakashi-sensei."

"Yes Naruto." Kakashi replied impassively as usual.

"Have you ever been in love?"

Every eyebrow around the fire arched in surprise at this unusual topic and in anticipation of the stoic shinobi's response.

"Love." Kakashi looked upwards as if he was searching his mind for any remnants of this emotion. "Perhaps I have. I don't recall."

A frown spread across Naruto's face. _'What kind of answer was that?'_

"Ah yes," Kakashi continued in a more jovial voice. "Konoha…I love Konoha."

Naruto slumped lower, further disappointed with this answer. "I mean with a woman!!!"

Kakashi's face became stern. "I don't recall."

Silence filled the campsite once again…"WELL???" Naruto shouted in frustration.

"Well what?"

"Don't you want to know _why_ I asked?"

"Not especially."

Kiba groaned inwardly. This was not going well. "I want to know Naruto. Why did you ask?" Kiba interjected attempting to help his simple-minded comrade.

Naruto's face brightened. "I'm glad you asked Kiba!!! Well, I'm in love." Kiba groaned again. _'Nice segway Naruto.'_

"With Konoha?"

"NO...well yes, with Konoha, but with this beautiful red-haired girl from the envoy. I've asked her to come back to the village with us and she agreed…just thought I'd let you know."

Everyone was quiet, not taking the notorious prankster seriously.

"Really, I'm in love. I love everything about her. The way her hair is red and how she…ummm, is red-headed and fiery and sexy with her fiery, sexy red-hair…"

"Does she wear a tremendous amount of make-up?" Yamato questioned with a smirk spreading across his lips.

"Yes!!! You've noticed her then?"

"Sure have," Yamato pointed. "She and Neji look like they are really enjoying their conversation," Yamato teased as he directed everyone's attention to Neji running his hand along the girl's arm while chuckling. _'I didn't even know Neji knew how to chuckle.' _Kiba thought to himself. Hinata was completely red in the face, awkwardly trying to deflect Neji's come-ons.

Naruto turned to the rest of the group and in an un-Naruto like fashion said, "Would you excuse me for a moment gentlemen?" He rose up in a flourish and approached the two.

"Ah Naruto. Rei was just telling me all about her beautiful homeland. Although, it can't be half as beautiful as she is."

Naruto scowled. "Aren't you supposed to be on watch?"

"I am watching." Neji smirked while giving Hinata a good once over.

"Look Neji, you need to back the hell up. Me and Hin…err…ummm…uhh…me and…"

"Rei."

"I know her name! Me and _REI_ are in love. She's already agreed to come back to Konoha with me. We'll probably get married and get busy…like rabbits…because rabbits do it all the time ya know…and so do people who are in love…"

Hinata turned bright red. She didn't know what embarrassed her more: the fact that Naruto implied something sexual occurring between them or the fact that his whole speech was ill-contrived, forced, and utterly cheesy.

"Is this true?" Neji turned to Hinata.

"Hai…like rabbits."

"That's funny," Neji quipped. "I've never seen the two of you together or touching. One would think that people who are in as much love as the two of you would show more visible signs of affection towards one another."

The three stood there without movement for a moment in complete silence as Neji's words lingered in the air. Finally, Naruto awkwardly placed his arm around Hinata's waste and shot a defensive look at Neji. Still, the silence was deafening. Naruto and Hinata were too embarrassed to speak and it was as if Neji was compelling them to prove their 'love' without even saying a word. Naruto then proceeded to wrap his other hand around Hinata's waste from behind while resting his head on her shoulder as the two faced Neji. Hinata was so red that it was beginning to show through her heavy make-up. Still, they stood there with no one saying a word.

Compelled to show their affection, Naruto decided to plant a kiss on Hinata's cheek. At first he hesitated out of respect for her, but then moved in slowly. When his lips finally met her cheek, he was amazed at how soft her face was despite the loads of make-up. She was smooth as silk and smelled like a springtime lily. He yearned to remain there a moment longer, but slowly allowed his lips to part from her face—their skin clinging to the others until the very last moment. His face remained close as his eyes gazed in wonder at the cheek and the sensation it had caused.

Hinata turned to meet his eyes. They were so blue and they were dancing in excitement. Since Hanabi's death, she had been ashamed for feeling any kind of joy, but she couldn't help but to feel…happy. The two peered into each other's eyes until brought back to reality by Neji's voice.

"Ok then." He turned away and disappeared into the brush to continue his watch and thought to himself…_'Well played Naruto.'_

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Two days passed and the Leaf shinobi successfully returned the envoy back to their homeland safely. Done with the mission, they were already on their way back to Konoha. However, they made sure to keep an eye out for the rebels who had ambushed them before.

Hinata and Naruto had not touched since the night Neji questioned their 'love,' but the two did attempt to speak like lovebirds from time to time so as to not arise suspicion in the others. It was rather awkward and forced conversation though, filled with empty pet names like 'honeybunch,' 'sugar lips,' and 'make-up mama.'

The journey seemed like an eternity for Hinata. For her, it felt like it would be easier to flirt with a stranger or with someone who had a mutual amount of love for the other, but to flirt with the boy whose feelings were a mystery and for whom she had feelings was an extremely daunting task. However, much to Hinata's pleasure, they were getting closer and closer to home.

Just on the outskirts of the lightening country the team stopped to set up camp.

"Alright everyone, get a good night's rest. Tomorrow we're going to push a little bit so we can get home as soon as possible," Kakashi informed everyone. Everyone proceeded to their respective duties. Hinata excused herself so she could clean up in the nearby steam.

"You going with her? Maybe you shouldn't. I doubt she'd be impressed with what's down below." Sai teased as he poked Naruto in the side watching the girl disappear in the brush.

"Haha. Very funny," Naruto responded as he sprawled himself out on the ground letting out a breathy yawn.

Sai followed suit positioning himself across from Naruto. "Seriously, I mean I'd be concerned."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, with all that make-up, her face must not be anything special. However, all those curves…her body is quite superb. I'm just saying that if she were mine, I'd just want to be equipped to handle…all that."

Naruto reddened. Hinata always wore such heavy clothing that it was difficult to see her shape, but in the bland kimono which now adorned her body, it was evident that she was quite shapely. What Sai was saying was no mystery, Naruto had noticed the first day of the mission that Hinata had been hiding something that should not be hidden. He had noticed…

"Don't worry, I can handle it." Naruto replied simply as he drifted to sleep.

Not long after falling into a deep slumber, the group was rudely awakened by a familiar voice. "Naruto, everyone…she's gone," Neji hollered appearing out of the woods looking uncharacteristically disturbed and out of breath. He continued.

"I woke up and noticed she wasn't back from the stream. So, I went to check on her, but she was nowhere to be found. All that I found was this kunai…it matches the shape of the kunai used by those rebels we faced on the way to the lightening country."

"What are we waiting for? Kiba lead the way!!!" Naruto shot up and was already flying through the treetops in the direction of the rebel camp behind the keen noses of Akumaru and Kiba.

Upon catching up with the two, Kakashi warned the headstrong shinobi of what lay ahead. "Naruto, Kiba. Rushing into the camp without a plan won't help anyone. They're probably expecting us. So, don't be mindless. Once we arrive at the base, lets map out what to do before confronting the rebels."

"Hai," the two responded in unison. They all picked up the pace as they neared the rebel base, but they hardly traveled in silence. Neji was muttering curses under his breath the entire time. So much so, that Naruto felt compelled to offer a word of comfort to his comrade.

"Oi, Neji, don't worry. Rei will be alright once we get there…I didn't know you cared for her so much."

"Baka," Neji had reached his breaking point. "This is all your fault. If something should happen to Hinata-sama, It'll be your head."

Shocked, a wide-eyed Naruto stuttered a response. "You…you knew?"

"Of course I knew idiot. Everyone knew." Naruto looked to Yamato and Kakashi who could only nod their heads in affirmation. "I only pretended to be romantically interested in Hinata so she, pressured, would come clean. I never thought she had the courage to pretend to be interested in you…or vice versa for that matter. But because of you, she's been lying to her father and because of you she's making horrible decisions with her life and because of you she's been taken by our enemies."

"Neji…I…"

"Don't speak Baka. You've taken advantage of her pain and you've taken advantage of her feelings for you. If you knew what was best for Hinata, you'd leave her alone!"

Naruto stopped and faced the Hyuuga. "You know what…you're as much to blame. You and your whole clan need to stop underestimating—"

"Naruto! Neji! Stop bickering and focus. We're getting close." Kiba cut Naruto off mid-sentence just before Kakashi and Yamato could chime in. It wasn't long before they were at a complete halt, spying upon the rebel camp.

"Sempei, by the looks of it there are around thirty ninja throughout the camp. If you look towards the shack on the northeastern side of camp, I've seen a number of shackled individuals escorted in and out of there. No doubt that is where we will find Hinata as well as other prisoners of war."

"Hai, we'll work in teams to take these guys out in the North, South, and Western regions of the camp. Neji and Kiba, Naruto and Sai, Yamato and myself—those will be the groups. Alright everyone, go to your designated areas and meet at the Eastern region where we'll free Hinata and the others. Ok. Move out!"

The shinobi engaged in battle facing opponents who, quite honestly, posed little threat. After punching out a nin, Naruto turned to Sai with question. "How in the world did these guys take Hinata? They are far to weak—" He kick dropped another nin. "—Far to weak to kidnap any ordinary shinobi."

"Agreed. This almost feels like a set-up."

Upon completion, the shinobi moved towards the Eastern region of the encampment. Neji rushed in and was immediately in awe at the number of prisoners being held in the decrepit old shack. Several posts holding shackled persons were set up inside, but Neji quickly located his unconscious cousin. No longer wigged, her dark hair was matted upon her skin by blood. Her clothes were in tatters and large cuts crossed her usually pure ivory skin. It was obvious that she had been involved in a vicious fight.

As Neji freed and collected Hinata in his arms, the others set out to free the other prisoners of war. Many of the prisoners wept openly at the thought of being freed while others smothered the Leaf nin with thanks. Having finished, Naruto approached his sensei at another post of prisoners for further instruction.

"Kakashi-sensei, what should we do with all these people?"

"….."

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"….."

Naruto rounded his sensei to see what had caught his attention. Facing him, Naruto became engulfed with worry upon seeing his sensei in a trance-like state. Naruto redirected his gaze to the source of Kakashi's interest only to find that the something was a someone, a woman with auburn hair.

"Sensei, do you know her?"

Kakashi only had the presence of mind to utter one thing:

"Rin."

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"Everything is moving as planned Madara-Sama. Soon the Hyuuga girl and then the Jinchuuriki will be in our hands."

"Good. Let's hope that our little spy doesn't let us down."

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	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. This is my first fan fiction and I hope you like it. Feedback is much appreciated.

Happy New Year Everyone!!! Sorry about the wait, but the holidays are always a busy time of year.

Hope you enjoy and please review.

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**Chapter Nine: From Lost to Returned**

"How is she?" A masculine voice questioned.

"She'll have to spend at least two weeks here in the hospital. Her injuries were fairly serious, but I've effectively healed the brunt of the wounds and reset her dislocated shoulder. So, she'll be able to return home pretty soon, but her activities will be limited."

The man placed a hand on Hinata's pale cheeks, leaned down, and kissed her bandaged forehead. Her eyelids fluttered at the touch, eventually opening just enough to reveal her lavender eyes.

"When I realized she was gone…I …" Hiashi caught himself in an uncharacteristic surge of emotion. The thought of losing another loved one had gotten the better of his senses. He regained his composure and proceeded to speak to Tsunade as the head of the Hyuuga should speak.

"She'll be punished for her disobedience." His gaze returned to his daughter. _"Although, I didn't think she had it in her to disobey me like this in the first place." _He turned and proceeded to the door with Tsunade at his heels. A half-conscious Hinata had no inkling of what had just taken place in the room. She was only left with the vague impression of her father's presence…she would later write this impression off as a dream.

She drifted back to sleep as Hiashi and Tsunade stepped out of the room. Upon exiting, they were met by Neji, Kiba, and Shino who had been waiting patiently for news of Hinata's condition.

"No visits for now boys. She'll be fine, but she needs to rest for the time being." Tsunade bid farewell to Hiashi and headed down the hall towards Rin's hospital room. The news of her return was shocking and unexpected for everyone in the village who had heard stories of her brutally painful death. While some hailed her revival as a miracle, Tsunade knew better than to believe in miracles.

Neji turned and followed Hiashi out of the hospital. The two stoic individuals said little to each other, but Hiashi made one point crystal clear for Neji.

"When she's well, I want you to be my eyes and watch her. It has become evident that she not only needs protection from others, but protection from herself as well."

Neji's gaze drifted to the ground. "Hai."

Back at the hospital, Tsunade rounded the corner near Rin's room and found the ever diligent Yamato waiting for her.

"You've questioned her?" Tsunade did away with the formalities and got straight to the point.

"Hai, her memories about the incident in the war are limited. She remembers being on the mission with Youndaime and Kakashi, but the events during and after her so-called death are hazy for her to recall. It seems that all her pre-war memories are intact. After the incident, her first memories begin with being told that she had been in a coma for a number of years by the lightening country rebels that we encountered. They made her their servant in every barbaric way imaginable, but eventually what seemed like torture became second nature for her. She settled into that environment despite the several beatings and the overall abusive treatment. She claims that she could not get away."

Tsunade reached for the doorknob and lingered for a moment to address Yamato. "I want your full inquiry in a report and on my desk by the morning…Have you seen Kakashi lately?"

Yamato shook his head. "All I know is that he has not come by the hospital to visit her since returning from the mission. I've not seen him since then."

"I see." Tsunade twisted the knob. "Thank you. That will be all." And with that she entered the room where she found the auburn-haired woman standing in a hospital gown looking out the window at Mt. Hokage. Without turning, Rin dreamily addressed the woman standing behind her.

"So much has changed. Sensei became Hokage, you've become Hokage…I feel like I'm waking up from a long dream." Rin turned to reveal that sweet smile she was notorious for—a smile which made Tsunade feel a twinge of guilt for doubting her trustworthiness. "And yet, so many things have remained the same. Konoha has the same familiar scent it's always had, and I'd swear that the sun looks a different shade of orange here than it does anywhere else on this whole planet. I bet the streets and all the townspeople are as friendly and hospitable as they used to be."

"You'll have plenty of time to find out." Tsunade returned her smile. "But for now, you need to rest. I had to treat and perform surgery on a good number of wounds that should have been treated many years ago. So, I don't want to see you up on your feet…understood?

"Hai Hokage-sama." Rin glided over to the bed, her long hair drifting behind her. "My only wish is that everything that should be the same in the village be the same…everything, but…well….Kakashi seems different…sadder I mean. Come to think of it, it's understandable that he's changed in this way given that he's lost everyone close to him."

"Like I said before, you'll have plenty of time to find all these things out. All I can tell you about Kakashi is that he has become a truly elite shinobi and an honorable man….And it's obvious that he cares for you deeply…I'd hate to see him get hurt…"

Rin could decipher the warning in Tsunade's message. "I know what you must think…"

"Rin…as Hokage it is my duty to be cautious. But if you prove yourself trustworthy, then I'm sure that your presence in Konoha will brighten the lives of many of the townspeople…and of Kakashi as well." Tsunade turned to exist. "So, rest for now. Health first; and everything else should fall in line after that."

"Thank you Tsunade-sama." Glancing back at Rin one last time, Tsunade left the room feeling a bit better about Rin's mysterious arrival than before. Although, she still had her doubts.

Fairly exhausted, Tsunade headed out of the hospital with her heart set on going the opposite direction of her mansion. All that awaited her there was Shizune and a mountain load of paperwork. Exiting the hospital courtyard, she gazed up at the sun to consider what Rin had said. _'The sun really does look different here.' _She thought as she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. '_The scent is unmistakable too.' _A smile crossed her lips.

"You know you should be more careful…Naruto…"

Opening her eyes, she glanced up at the roof of the hospital where a surprised Naruto stood. He leapt down to inquire into her warning.

"What do you mean?" He sheepishly rubbed that back of his head pretending that he had no idea of what she was speaking about.

"You were lucky Hiashi was too distracted to notice your presence outside the window of Hinata's room. You're not high on his or Neji's list of favorite people." Tsunade enjoyed the indignant expression forming on Naruto's face. "You should thank me you know. I told Shino, Kiba, and Neji they could not visit with her so that you could see her without being discovered…and so Neji wouldn't beat you senseless. So, did she wake up?"

Naruto shook his head. Hinata hadn't opened her eyes once while he was in the room, but that made his visit easier since he had come there to apologize to the girl. Apologies weren't his strong suit, but the thought that Neji's words could be true made him feel quite remorseful…

"_Don't speak Baka. You've taken advantage of her pain and you've taken advantage of her feelings for you. If __ you knew what was best for Hinata, you'd leave her alone!"_

Maybe he had taken advantage of her pain, he didn't know. And the part about her feelings, that was all new news to Naruto. He had no idea Hinata cared for him in the way Neji implied, but the thought of taking advantage of Hinata in any way compelled Naruto to visit her hospital room. He placed some lilies near her bedside and verbally expressed his apologies to her hoping that subconsciously she was picking up on the message. He couldn't help but notice her normal, undisguised face and about how much he had missed the sight of it. However, he did not have long to reacquaint himself with Hinata's normal appearance as a nurse cut his visit short with her arrival.

"…Naruto…snap out of it." Naruto was brought back to reality by Tsunade's voice. "I just want to warn you of one thing." Tsunade stated in a cautionary tone.

"Don't worry Granny. I'll be sure to steer clear of anyone named Hyuuga for a while."

"That's not what I'm worried about. I'm concerned about your emotional well-being. Look, it's no secret that Sasuke and Sakura's disappearance from the village hit you hard. It can be lonely when your friends abandon you, almost unbearably so. Sometimes people desperately try to fill the hole made by the absence of a loved one too quickly in order to escape the loneliness. However, if you try and fill that hole too fast, you might later discover that it was not the right fit."

Tsunade abandoned the metaphor as it was clear that Naruto was not following. "I just don't want you to start thinking of Hinata as a replacement for Sakura. It's not good for your mental health and it's not fair to Hinata. You need to take the appropriate amount of time to find out which people fit best in your life as friends and comrades."

Naruto was quiet for a moment. His look of indignation had faded away into a look that could only be described as sadness. Finally, he began to speak. "Sasuke can't be replaced in my life…and Hinata…Hinata could never replace Sakura in my life either." With that he turned away and proceeded down one of the village streets.

Tsunade sighed to herself. _'I need a vacation.'_

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It had been an unusual day for Kakashi. Of course he visited the memorial at the crack of dawn to pay his respects to Obito, but the rest of the day he drifted along ignoring most of his responsibilities. He had not reported in to the Hokage when she requested him, he had given no thought to the activity (or inactivity) of his team, and he did not read one single page of Icha-Icha Paradise.

Instead, for most of the day he busied himself by cleaning, cleaning, and re-cleaning his apartment. Everything seemed so disorderly to him. So, in a desperate attempt to put everything in its appropriate place, he thoroughly removed every speck and crumb from his already tidy apartment.

By the time he was satisfied with the condition of the room, night had fallen on Konoha. He threw himself onto his bed and lay there for a while. Thoughts and memories played in his head, but he couldn't make sense of anything. Nothing was the way it was supposed to be. He wished that he could reorder the contours of his mind like he had cleaned his apartment, but unfortunately he could not. His mind was a jumble of thoughts that could not fit together appropriately. He lay there until it struck him that not everything was clean. Getting up, he undressed himself and stepped into the shower. The steaming water beat against his chiseled body. He stood there motionless…thinking…

The door creaked open to Kakashi's apartment. Footsteps cautiously crossed the wooden floor in the direction of his bathroom where the sound of running water resonated. The footsteps quickened in anticipation of reaching the bathroom and their target. However, as the intruder's hand landed on the door, a cold metallic object ran across their neck from behind—it was a kunai.

"What are you doing here?" Kakashi whispered into the their ear.

Without response, Kakashi was flung into the air and against the wall. As he hit the wall he vanished, it was obviously a Bushin.

"Are you going to answer my question?" Kakashi stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waste and a mask pulled over the bottom half of his face.

"Just checking up on you." Gai rubbed his neck as he made himself comfortable in one of Kakashi's chairs. "Got to make sure that my rival is still worthy of being my rival." Gai flashed a thumbs up sign and his notorious 'good-guy' smile.

"I appreciate it, but I'm fine." Looking at Gai, Kakashi couldn't help but roll his eyes realizing what was truly on the man's mind. "What'll it be this time?"

"Hmmm, it's my turn to pick isn't it? How about a race tomorrow around the village 200 times?

"How about rock-paper-scissors?"

"You're on Kakashi!!! If I lose, I'll do those 200 laps using my hands only." Kakashi chuckled a bit on the inside. It was pleasant to know that there was at least one constant in his life—Gai being a ridiculous, yet true friend. "Best out of three o.k. Prepare yourself Kakashi!!!"

Kakashi won of course. Rock-paper-scissors with a Sharingan user is a sure path towards failure. After their 'competition,' the two spoke for some time, filling the air with idle conversation about their teams and about new training techniques until it was time for Gai to depart. Upon exiting, Kakashi patted his comrade on the back.

"I appreciate you coming by."

Gai flashed him an uncharacteristically serious look and simply replied. "No problem." He exited the room as Kakashi closed the door behind him and locked it. He looked down towards his feet and closed his eyes for a moment while thinking out loud.

"I expected that Gai would come by to check up on me eventually…but…I didn't expect for you to be here too."

He turned around to see Rin leaning against his windowpane. The moonlight shone on her expressionless, yet beautiful face. She looked coolly around the room avoiding Kakashi's gaze. Something catching her eye, her body detached itself from the windowpane and walked steadily across the room. Reaching for a picture, tears filled her eyes as she looked longingly upon the remnants of her old team.

Kakashi simply watched her, unable to speak or move. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she placed the picture down and redirected her attention towards the immobile Kakashi.

"I just came by to ask you why you haven't been by to visit me at the hospital."

"Isn't that where you're supposed to be now?" Kakashi replied coolly.

Rin looked hurt by his quick response. However, she stuck to her resolve. "Why haven't you been by Kakashi?"

"Why are you here?" Kakashi said flatly ignoring her question.

"I told you. To ask you—"

"No….why are you _here? _How can you be here? I saw you die in front of my very own eyes. I saw you dead. It's impossible for you to be real."

"Kakashi…I…"

"I'll tell you why I haven't been by the hospital…because you're not real. You're not Rin." He said the last part like he was trying to convince himself of its truth. Rin walked over to the disturbed shinobi in an effort to consol him. She reached for his hand, but was unable to make contact as Kakashi evaded her touch. He walked over to the window; half-wanting to jump out into the night in order to avoid this situation altogether. However, for some reason, he just lingered there, cursing himself for staying.

Suddenly a hand was upon his shoulder and he felt the weight of Rin's head rest upon his back. Remaining motionless, Kakashi glanced up at the stars and wondered whether he was in reality or in a fantasy. In his heart he yearned for her touch to be real, but in his mind he knew that her presence was some sort of cruel trick. Lost in his thought, he was forced back into the present by the movement of Rin's hand which maneuvered from his bare shoulder down along the contours of his muscular back. Kakashi remained motionless and silent.

Rin let out a soft laugh out as she played along his back.

"You have gotten strong." She closed her eyes and smiled as she delved into her own memories. "Remember the time when we were training with sensei and Obito commented on how skinny you were compared to him. We all knew that size had nothing to do with strength. You were much stronger than Obito physically anyway and we all knew that, but you…" She let out another chuckle. "You couldn't bare the thought that he was right about anything. Now that I think about it, you were a bit scrawny back then and he was right, but you played it off like you didn't care what he said."

"Remember how I caught you doing strength training later that day when you thought you were alone Kakashi? I teased you and teased you and threatened to tell Obito and sensei how sensitive you were…how you were trying to bulk up all because of what Obito had said. You got all defensive and red in the face. I don't think I've ever seen you more embarrassed than you were on that day."

"On top of that, you had the nerve to try and bribe me into not telling them. Do you remember our deal Kakashi? We agreed that I wouldn't tell Obito if I could see your face. It was a hard bargain to strike, but it just showed me that you would do anything to save face when Obito was concerned." Rin opened her eyes again as she continued speaking. "If he could only see you now. If only he could see how strong you've gotten."

"Kakashi…" Rin, seeing that her story had little effect on Kakashi's demeanor, took a step away from him and let her arm slip away from his shoulder. "Just answer me this. Have you willingly let anyone see your face since that day?"

"No." Kakashi turned to face Rin. "Just you Rin…only you."

A soft smile crossed Rin's lips.

"Oh, so you finally admit to yourself that I am who I say I am. That's funny, considering you're the one wearing the mask." A light chuckle escaped her mouth. "How do I know you are who you say you are, hmm?" Rin arched her eyebrows as she teased Kakashi. "Guess I'll just have to find out for myself."

Stepping forward to close the gap between their bodies, Rin gently place both hands on Kakashi's face and gripped at the edges of his mask, pulling it up over his head.

"There's that handsome face…just as I remembered it."

Arms in the air, she tossed the mask across the room and allowed her hands to become entangled in his hair. Their faces were inches apart. Their eyes pierced into the others. Kakashi could no longer hold himself back. In a swell of passion he claimed Rin's lips as his own. Placing both hands along the sides of her face, he pushed her auburn hair out of the way as he backed her entire body against the nearby wall. His lips were domineering and forceful against her soft, submissive lips. Yet, it was a perfect fit. Years and years of pain and longing were being expressed through this kiss. It was consuming…almost too consuming.

"No." Kakashi broke away as he fell to his knees. His arms clutched around her hips and the side of his face bore into her thigh. "I saw you die. I saw you—"

Rin lowered herself to Kakashi's level and lifted his chin with her hand.

"Kakashi. I'm real, I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. You never have to be alone again. I promise." She placed a kiss on his forehead and trailed kisses down until she met his lips. She lingered upon his lips and felt him respond in kind. Breaking away, she planted another quick smooch upon his mouth and leaned back against the wall bringing his body along with her. She cradled him in her arms with his head upon her chest.

They remained this way for the remainder of the night, falling asleep in each other's arms.

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Morning light seeped in through the windows of Kakashi's apartment filling the rooms with the life of a brand new day. Opening his eyes, Kakashi looked upward to see Rin fast asleep laying upright against the wall. Her arms rested upon his bare chest while his body rested upon her folded legs.

Lifting himself up, Kakashi was careful not to awaken the peacefully slumbering girl. He caught her in his arms, carried her over to his bed, and lay her gently amongst the folds of his sheets. He couldn't help but to stare at her while she lay there. It just seemed right that she be there, in his bed, with him.

Suddenly there was a tapping against his window that caught Kakashi's attention and spurred Rin's eyes to crack openly ever so slightly. Kakashi redirected his glance from Rin to the bird that pecked away on the glass from the outside. _'Hmm, it's kinda early. I wonder what Tsunade-sama could want at this time in the morning.'_ Without another thought, he prepared himself to leave as Rin sleepily watched from the bed.

Ready to go, Kakashi approached the outstretched woman whose Auburn hair was sprawled gracefully across his pillows and leaned in dangerously close to her ear.

"I have to go to the Hokage's. Stay as long as you like, but you should probably get back to the hospital before they notice that you are gone…if they haven't already." Kakashi turned to leave, but stopped abruptly mid-step. He whirled around once again to face Rin and without warning brushed his lips across her radiant canvas.

Their lips became entwined in what can only be described as pure warmth. A soft moan escaped Rin's lips much to her surprise. Pulling back, her face reddened in embarrassment. Kakashi merely smiled, kissed her forehead quickly, and turned to leave.

"Bye." He bid her adieu as he poofed from the room.

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"You should have seen Lee and Gai sensei yesterday Neji. They were challenging children to rock-paper-scissors and calling it 'chance training.' The two of them won't be satisfied until they have overcome the disadvantages of an unlikely probability." Tenten gave out an audible, frustrated sigh. "Isn't that ridiculous? I can't wait 'til you come back because I don't think I'll be able to stand them all by myself anymore."

Neji smiled as he looked over at a giggling Hinata. "I have to admit. I actually miss their ridiculousness. Just goes to show you that you don't know what you have until it's gone."

"Hai," Hinata's giggle evaporated. "You don't know what you have…until it's gone." It wasn't evident whether Hinata was referring to the loss of Hanabi or to the loss of her status as a shinobi, but the light atmosphere which had previously filled the hospital room had been decimated by her somber comment.

"Oh gomen, gomen. Listen to me making everyone sad. Tenten, you were nice enough to come and visit me. The least I can do is be a hospitable guest." Hinata bowed her head in apology.

"Don't worry about it too much Hinata. We both know that you've been through a lot. If I were in your place, I don't think that I would be handling things so well." Tenten graciously addressed her friend. "Speaking of the traumatic experiences you've recently been through, how did you ever survive Neji flirting with you?" Tenten giggled as she successfully lightened the mood once again within the room. Hinata and Neji both reddened a bit.

Inspired by this reaction, Tenten continued to tease Neji. "He's not much of a flirt you know, but he does have this one cute little habit when he's trying to be cool around a girl. You see, his tongue always—"

"I think that's enough of a visit for now Hinata-sama." Neji interrupted Tenten mid-sentence. "You must be tired."

"Neji, its still morni—"

"Well, let's go Tenten." He grabbed the girl by the arm and made a beeline to the door. "I'll see you later Hinata-sama." Before Hinata could respond, the two were out the door. She chuckled inwardly as she sat up, flung her legs to the side of the bed, and glanced out the window. She couldn't help but wonder what the future held in store for her.

Naruto had gone out of town with Kakashi and Yamato on a sudden mission, but even if he were in town, Hinata doubted that they would ever be able to train together again. She doubted that she would ever be able to train again period. For that matter, she didn't even know how she would spend the rest of her days. Sure, she would eventually become the leader of her clan, but what kind of leader could she possibly be without becoming stronger…without becoming more courageous.

Exasperated by her thoughts, Hinata hobbled to her feet and slowly exited the room in the direction of the patients lounge. There was a game room in the lounge and she decided that a game of shougi would ease her nerves and take her mind off her worries.

Hinata entered the room, but much to her dismay there was no one there. Undeterred, she walked in, sat down, and set up the pieces on the game board. Mindlessly setting the pieces down, her mind dwelled on Naruto and the few days they had pretended to be a couple. The feel of his hand holding hers, the glimmer in his blue eyes when he smiled, the funny pet names he came up with, the way his lips felt upon her cheek—she longed for all those things to be real, but she knew that Naruto was just acting for her benefit. _'I wonder what he's doing now?'_

"Excuse me. Care to play a game?" Surprised out of her thoughts, Hinata snapped around to see a rather long-legged woman in a hospital gown smiling down at her. Without a word, Hinata nodded and the woman took a seat.

"Hi, I'm Rin." She extended her hand to Hinata in greeting. "I hope you're not too good. I don't want to get beaten to badly." She said giving off another smile.

Hinata returned the smile in kind and replied, "No, I just like to play sometimes."

"Hyuuga Hinata right? Your beautiful eyes gave it away…that and the fact that there's no curse mark on your forehead. It's good to see you up and about. You weren't looking so hot before." Rin jabbered on as she initiated play.

"H-have we met before?"

"Well, yes technically, but you were unconscious. I was also a prisoner of the lightening country rebel camp and we traveled back to Konoha together."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I've never seen so many men worried about one woman before in my life. God, you must be a heartbreaker. It's no wonder though, just look at you. You're gorgeous."

Hinata reddened as she moved her first piece.

"That's an interesting first move. You know, they say you can tell what kind of person someone is by the way they play shougi. Based on your first move, if I had to guess, I'd say that you were a generally cautious person…perhaps too cautious." Rin spoke casually as she looked down at the board. "Am I right?"

Hinata studied the woman across from her as she replied, "Well, I've been told that I lack confidence." Her eyes fell to the ground. "So yes, I suppose you are correct."

"You don't have to sound so sad about it." Rin replied half chuckling. "It's not necessarily bad to be cautious or to be humble. I think humility is the sign of a genuinely good person. However, if you're so cautious that you don't take risks in life, you'll never get your true heart's desires. In life you have to take risks. However," Rin adjusted in her seat as she moved another piece, "if you're too prideful or overconfident, you'll end up making stupid mistakes and end up hurting yourself. When you think about it, it's really a thin line. So, what's your next move?"

Hinata inspected the board thoroughly before deciding upon her next move. Giving Rin a quick glance, she knocked one of Rin's pieces off the board and placed one of her pieces in its spot.

"Huh, would you look at that. That's quite an aggressive move Hinata. You know what that tells me? It tells me that despite being unsure of yourself, you want to change. You want to be more aggressive. But…"

Rin infiltrated Hinata's territory by moving a piece into the spot that Hinata had just left. "It probably wasn't the best time to be aggressive. Because of the move you made, I estimate that it will only take me 6 more moves to win this game."

In surprise, Hinata glanced back down at the board and realized that Rin was right. She gave an outward sigh and smiled in defeat. "I guess you got me."

"I guess so. Let's start over huh…I could help you ya know."

"No, no. I want to try and beat you fair and square."

"That's not what I meant Hinata. I mean I can help you with your confidence issues. You see, I'm a medical nin and, although I am skilled in many medical fields, my specialty is in psychological study. If you trust me, there are a series of treatments that I could give you in order to make you a bit more extraverted. There are no adverse side-effects, it's perfectly safe. It's just a small matter of manipulating the chakra pathways within your mind. I've worked with several patients and they have all been satisfied with the results."

"I don't know. I don't mean to offend you, but the only thing I know about you is your name." Hinata's eyes avoided Rin's face.

"Well, if you feel the need to ask around about me then feel free, but I am a trustworthy shinobi. I was trained by Youndaime after all and I'm good friends with Kakashi. If you know of their reputations, then you know they are persons who only associate with genuine people." Rin spoke as she cleared the board and reset the pieces.

Hinata was hesitant to agree to the treatment, but she was hesitant to reject it as well. To be more confident, to be more assertive, to acquire the traits of a true Hyuuga leader—it was too good to pass up. Lost in her thoughts, she barely heard Rin ask:

"Well?"

Hinata replied simply. "When do we start?"

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An exhausted Naruto fell limp onto the ground. He closed his eyes as he tried to regain his composure and his strength. Training with Yamato and Kakashi was always quite a challenge, but he knew that it would be worth it in the end. There was only one question in the boys mind. Feeling a bit reenergized, he opened his eyes to find Kakashi standing over him.

"You alright Naruto?"

Naruto lifted himself up and patted the dust off his backside. "Yea, but…"

Kakashi arched an eyebrow. Naruto's questions were always good for a laugh. "Yes, what is it?"

"Well, the morning we left, you woke me up like it was an emergency, but this is no emergency…we're just training. And, why did we travel so far from the village just to train? This whole 'mission' just seems strange to me.

"Hmm…I guess I was going to tell you at some point. It may as well be now. We left the village so abruptly and traveled so far because Tsunade-sama thought that it would be for the best given your temper."

"M-my temper?"

"Well yes, Naruto when you get angry or worked up, you often do things that…aren't in your best interest. Tsunade-sama thought it would be best that you had time to think about things away from the village."

"To think about what?"

"To think about how you're going to respond to Sakura being back in the village. She returned the night before we left."

An enraged look washed over Naruto's face as he clenched his fists together and let out an audible growl.

_ 'It seems Tsunade-sama made a wise choice.'_

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	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. This is my first fan fiction and I hope you like it. Feedback is much appreciated.

Hey Everyone. Some of you may be thinking to yourself: "Where is she going with this?"

Don't worry, I have the ending in my sights, but it is still a while off. I'm still open to suggestion though.

Hope you enjoy and please review.

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**Chapter Nine: From Normal to Unexpected**

"We've been doing this treatment for about a week now and I don't notice any difference. Are you sure its working?" Hinata asked while sweeping her hair into a bun in preparation for the last treatment.

"Patience, patience. You haven't even been outside the hospital yet. Today's your last day right? Once you're on the outside, with people, it should be fairly easy to ascertain whether the treatment is working or not."

"You're right. I'll be more patient Rin."

"Hmm, just Rin…" Rin flashed her notorious smile. "…the treatment must be working." She chuckled as she nudged Hinata's side. The young girl couldn't help but laugh herself.

"One more thing before we start though. It might be in your best interest if you don't tell anyone about the treatment. People tend to treat you differently if they know that you've been through some sort of psychological alteration. I just want people to see the new you for you, alright?"

Hinata thought about this for a second before responding. "I understand. This will just be between you and me."

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Neji stood outside the hospital patiently awaiting his cousin. It was a warm, sticky day. Even Neji wasn't immune to the heat, so he rolled up his sleeves to his shoulders as beads of sweat trickled down his face. A bit agitated at Hinata's lateness, he paced and glanced up at the hospital door many times, but decided against going into the building and pulling her out by force. Instead, he leaned against the stone wall in the hospital courtyard, folded his arms, closed his eyes, and dutifully waited for his cousin.

"Hey Neji. How's Hinata doing?" The jounin opened his eyes to see none other than Naruto standing before him.

"Naruto. Back from your mission I see." Neji propelled himself off the wall and faced Naruto as Kakashi and Yamato came to a halt behind him. "Well good because I actually need to have a couple of words with you."

"Actually Neji, we need to get to the Hokage's. She's expecting us." Yamato interrupted politely.

"Fine, this shouldn't take long. Naruto, to answer your question Hinata-sama is doing fine and I expect her to stay that way. Naruto, we're comrades and friends and I respect you as a shinobi, but my duty to Hinata comes first. So I have to ask you…I must request that you stay away from her."

Naruto shifted his weight as he stepped closer to the Hyuuga. "Look Neji, I know sneaking her out of the village was a mistake, but I'm sorry. It won't happen again. We're all friends though. Let's just forget about the whole thing and everything will get back to normal. Do you really want to make Hinata's life more difficult than it already is right now?"

"No I don't. That's why I must keep her away from you….Naruto I heard what you said to Tsunade-sama a week ago in this very spot. You told her that Hinata-sama could never take Sakura's place in your life. I just…I just don't want to see her get hurt at a time like this when she's already been through so much. She thinks that your friendship is growing and that you two are getting closer. I don't want her heart to be crushed when she finds out that its not…especially since Sakura is back in town."

Surprise washed all over Naruto's face. He had no idea that anyone was eavesdropping on his conversation with Tsunade. For a moment he was at a loss for words, but finally he replied.

"I never took you for an eavesdropper Neji." He said as a scowl crossed his face. "And for you information, you misunderstood me. When I said that Hinata could never fill the hole Sakura left in my life, what I meant was—"

"Is that how you really feel…Naruto-kun?"

Naruto froze. The voice was familiar, but he was praying that it wasn't who it sounded like. Turning around slowly, Naruto found, much to his horror, that this question resonated from Hinata's mouth. There she stood in the hospital courtyard, hair pinned up and body wrapped in a silky yellow kimono which hugged her body in all the right places. The kimono was all that her father would bring to her while she was in the hospital, so she had no choice but to wear it. However, despite her discomfort in the ensemble, she was absolutely radiant.

Taken aback by her presence and by her beauty, Naruto couldn't muster a single word from his mouth. Instead he stood there, jaw dropped and gawking.

"Hm, I see…lets go Neji." Hinata said simply as she walked past the shinobi in the direction of the Hyuuga compound. Obediently, Neji followed giving Naruto a stern and threatening look. Finally, words filled Naruto's mouth as he called out to Hinata as her figure receded in the distance.

"Hinata. I didn't mean it like it sounds." But already the girl was out of range and around the corner.

"Well," Yamato gave the boy a hearty pat on the back. "Shall we get going." Naruto responded with a grunt as he dragged himself along in the direction of the Hokage's. How had life gotten so complicated?

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"How's he been?"

"Quite honestly, not the same since you and Sasuke left. Your departure really affected him. As far as Naruto is concerned, you have a lot of explaining to do." Tsunade spoke as she flipped through a report on her desk. Sakura had already explained to Tsunade what drove her to leave the village, but of course it wasn't the complete truth. But by the look on Tsunade's face, it seemed that her lies had gone undetected.

"Looks like they're here," Tsunade said without lifting her head from her desk.

The door knob turned as the three men from the mission and Sai entered into the room. Sakura looked them all over as she greeted them. "Hello Sai, Kakashi-sensei, Yamato-dijo…Naruto."

"Hello Sakura. You're looking well." Sai responded innocently as Kakashi and Yamato nodded at the girl in acknowledgement. However, Naruto didn't even glance over at his teammate. Instead, his eyes avoided hers as he crossed his arms and awaited Tsunade's instructions.

"Naruto, how was the training?" Tsunade asked jovially attempting to lighten the mood in the room. However, Naruto wasn't willing to play nice and responded simply:

"Fine."

"Hmm, well, if that's the way you want to be then let's cut straight to the chase. I believe Sakura has something that she wishes to tell you all." Tsunade leaned back in her chair as she gave Sakura the floor.

Sakura took a deep breath, said a silent prayer, and faced her comrades. "Well. First off, I'd like to apologize to all of you…especially to you Naruto. I know how much it meant to you having Sasuke back in the village, but it was too good to last. We couldn't have kept him here by force. Eventually he would have escaped. He told me himself that he had no desire to stay in the village." Sakura paused as she waited for some kind of response from Naruto, but still his eyes avoided hers. So, she continued.

"So, I figured that since he was going to leave anyway, it would be best to learn all I could from him before he was gone and out of our grasps permanently. So, I helped him leave the village and gained his trust. However," Sakura shifted her weight. "He abandoned me after a short time. I have no idea where he is or what he wants. It seems the whole thing was a waste of my time, a complete and utter failure…and it looks as though I've hurt a lot of people in the process."

Sakura walked over to Naruto, placed both her hands over his shoulders, and stared him straight in the eye. "Naruto, you must know that everything that I've done, I've done so that we may all be together again…as a team." She bent her head as tears were threatening to fall. "I thought I was doing what was best for us."

Naruto shook her arms from his shoulders as he backed away from the girl. "Exactly. You were doing what you thought was best because you didn't think that I had the strength to keep Sasuke in the village. You were doing what you thought was best because you didn't trust in me or in my abilities. How are we even supposed to be a team if you don't trust me?"

"Naruto I trust you, its just that—"

"I want you to promise me that whatever we do to reunite our team, we do it together. Even though you did what you did, I trust you Sakura. I want you to trust in me too. Promise me."

He eyed the girl waiting for a response. She hesitated and her hesitation prompted him to repeat himself. "Promise me." A moment passed and finally Sakura lifted her eyes. They were streaming with tears as she replied quietly.

"I promise."

Kakashi came over and placed a hand on her shoulder. He looked up at Tsunade and stated matter-of-factly: "Well, now that we're back together. Its time we got out there and bring Sasuke back. Right Naruto?"

Reenergized, Naruto glanced up at his sensei, pounded his hand into his fist, and replied firmly.

"Right."

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Kakashi's jaw dropped, his pulse became faint, and his body became weak. Slowly, he fell to the ground as his body quivered. He just couldn't believe it. This had to be a nightmare.

"Relax Kakashi." Rin stood over him with a smile on her face. "I did you a favor. You don't need those dirty ol' books anymore. They're bad for the soul."

"………azcox……..."

"Hmm, what's that you say?"

"….pcf….….mniu…."

"Kakashi, you're starting to worry me. Say something."

Kakashi rolled onto his knees and gripped his stomach as though he were in deep pain.

"Hmpf. Well, if that's your response then it's a good thing I came along. This is not healthy behavior at all. You're addicted Kakashi and the first step to recovery is to admit that you have a problem." Rin was becoming impatient with the man as she crossed her arms and tapped her feet in impatience.

However, instead of respond, Kakashi let out a deep groan…a groan that sounded as if he was being physically tortured. The noise was followed by a serious of choking coughs. At first Rin wrote Kakashi's response off as an over-reaction, but as his coughing progressed, she became increasingly worried.

"Kakashi…are you alright…Kakashi!" She knelt down beside him and laid a comforting hand on his back. With her other hand she tried to turn his head so that she could see his face and somehow treat his reaction, but before she had the chance Kakashi reached over and pinned her to the ground. His hips straddled her body as his arms held hers to the ground. Rin let out a squeal as she struggled against the shinobi in protest, but it was no use. He was too strong for her.

"Since you took my books, you will be responsible for stimulating my imagination." Kakashi threatened the girl in a husky octave as he lowered his head to her neck. However, before he reached his destination, a knock came at the door.

Ignoring the sound, Kakashi proceeded with what he was doing, but the knock came again. In frustration, he finally responded.

"What."

"Kakashi-sensei. It's Naruto. I need to talk to you."

"I'm busy. Come back later."

"How much later?"

"Tomorrow."

"In the morning or in the afternoon?"

"Whenever…the afternoon."

"Actually, I'm helping Lee out in his dojo tomorrow afternoon."

"Then why did you even ask?"

"Ask what?"

"Whether you…you know what, just come in."

"But you said you were busy."

Suddenly the door swung open and a wild-eyed Kakashi stared at his student in the doorway. "Just come in." A confused Naruto shrugged his shoulders and nonchalantly walked into the room.

"I don't know why you're mad at me. One second you're busy, the next you're…oh…"

Naruto stopped as he discovered Rin sitting at Kakashi's kitchen table. His face became red as he scratched the back of her head.

"You know, I can just come back later." Before Naruto could turn Kakashi pushed him down forcefully into a seat. The moment was dead, he might as well stay and talk now.

"Naruto, what's so important?"

"Well…" Naruto glanced over at Rin, his face still red. "Umm, its kinda…ya know…guy talk."

"Oh, I can leave if you want." Rin politelty offered as she stood up. "I'll just be in the other room." Kakashi watched her as she left the room and turned back to find Naruto looking at him with a stupid grin slapped across his face.

"Now I get it…you were _busy _busy. You should have said so. I would have let you get busy…if you know what I mean." Naruto's eyebrows jumped as he teased his sensei. Too cool and refined to react to Naruto's jibs, Kakashi ignored his student and got to the matter at hand.

"What do you want?"

Naruto's face became serious. "Kakashi-sensei, what do you know about the Hyuuga clan?"

This question surprised Kakashi and curiosity invaded his mind.

"What do you mean? Be more specific. They're a pretty complex clan with plenty of history spanning centuries."

"I mean, why is it so important for there to be a head family and a branch family? Why does there need to be a clan leader? Why does there even need to be a Hyuuga clan?"

"And you want to know all this because why?"

Naruto reddened. "No reason, I just want to know."

"Well, I can see why you came all they way over with this pressing issue." Kakashi's sarcasm was too subtle for the dense shinobi to pick up on. "Although, these are all good questions when you consider that there are other clans in the village with less strict clan codes. Even the Uchihas weren't so stringent about keeping the Sharingan secret. However, the Hyuuga's are very secretive and very private about the powers of the Byakugan. I can't tell you why exactly because I don't know myself. Only the clan members and the Hokage know for sure, but there role in the village is honored and respected by all. They protect their head members and their secret so well that we can only assume that their customs and ways are necessary for Konoha's perseverance."

"So…Hinata…"

"Is key to the Hyuuga's future and to Konoha's future…we outsiders just don't know why."

"….wow…." Naruto was now wide-eyed and gazing off at nothing in particular. Kakashi glanced at his pupil with a smirk forming on his face.

"Yeah, her life is tied to her clan and she can't just live any old way. She can't pick her own career, she can't behave in whatever way she chooses…she can't even marry the bum off the street if she wishes…yep, she'll probably marry in the big leagues…a feudal lord maybe or a wealthy businessman….maybe even a future Hokage…"

"…yea…" Naruto dazed off dreamily. "...I mean yes…of course Hinata is going to marry some stud." Naruto laughed nervously. "I mean she's a good looking, powerful girl with a good heart. She won't stay single long…"

"No…she won't," Kakashi replied with eyebrow arched.

Naruto stood up abruptly, still laughing nervously. "Well, thanks Kakashi-sensei…I think I'm gonna go for a walk…ya know…around…." Naruto turned for the door. "See you tomorrow."

"Tell Hinata I said hello."

"What? Heh, sure, but umm…you'll probably see her before I do." Naruto's words were cut short as the door slammed behind him.

"That's interesting." Kakashi turned to see Rin standing in the hallway. "He and the Hyuuga girl are an item huh?"

"We'll see. She's been fond of him for quite some time. He's just never noticed."

"That's a useful piece of information." Rin mumbled to herself.

"Useful?"

"I meant interesting. Sorry, my thoughts got mixed…a useful piece of information would be to know where I'm living from now on."

"You could stay here ya know."

"And…and live with you." Rin reddened at the thought.

"Yea."

Rin's face returned to its normal hue as she regained her composure.

"Well, somebody's got to be here to make sure that you don't regress back into your addiction." Rin giggled as she turned toward the bedroom. "Now the only question is where, oh where will I sleep." A seductive look passed between the two as Kakashi got up and followed her into the bedroom.

"If you think you're going to sleep in my bed, you're mistaken…my bed is for something else entirely."

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"Psst…Hinata….Hinata…." Naruto stood outside the Hyuuga compound throwing rocks at the second story window in an attempt to get the young girls attention without alerting the rest of the family.

"Psst…Hinata…its me Naruto…I need to talk to you."

Suddenly, light filled the room and a shadow moved towards the window. '_Finally,' _Naruto thought to himself. However, as the shadow came closer and closer to the window, it became strikingly obvious that the silhouette of the body in the window did not belong to Hinata. It belonged to a man…a large man. Realizing this, Naruto turned to hide, but it was too late. A voice called out to him.

"Boy, it seems you have the wrong window." Much to Naruto's horror, the voice belonged to Hinata's father—the revered Hyuuga head. His body was covered with a robe and it was obvious to Naruto that he had awoken him from his sleep. Internally Naruto cursed himself. _'Not only is this the wrong window, but it is the absolute worst window for me to have chosen." _Seeing Naruto stammer frantically for an explanation, Hiashi filled the silence.

"Boy, did you really think you could just sneak onto our property and not be discovered? We have guards watching the property at all times. They've been watching you the whole time," Hiashi paused and looked at the stake-out points on the outer wall as he raised his voice. The next message wasn't intended just for Naruto, but for the guards at their posts as well. "…but they didn't stop you because it seems they find this all very humorous that you're knocking on the wrong window…It wouldn't have been humorous though if he had been a real threat."

Hiashi moved to shut the window, but before doing so he looked down at Naruto and stated, "Come around to the front boy so I can see your face more clearly." Naruto gulped and proceeded to the main entrance of the house. He rounded the corner and found Hiashi already waiting for him at the front.

"What's your name?" Hiashi asked despite knowing full-well who the boy was.

Naruto's foot played in the dirt as he hesitantly responded. "Uzumaki Naruto."

"Uzumaki Naruto what?"

"Uzumaki Naruto sir."

Hiashi paused. He already knew a great deal about Naruto—the fact that he was a notorious prankster in his youth , that he was a Jinchuuriki, the identity of his parents, and the extent of his skill as a shinobi. However, he wanted to make the boy as uncomfortable as possible by asking him as many questions as possible.

"How old are you boy?

"Eighteen sir."

"So, you're old enough to be considered a man. Is that right?"

"Yes sir."

"Then it seems to me that if a man wanted to speak to another man's daughter, he wouldn't sneak around hiding in the shadows, but he would come to that man and ask respectfully for permission to see that man's daughter…face to face, man to man. Doesn't that seem appropriate to you?"

"…what if his daughter was a woman herself…sir?" Naruto stated cautiously, not sure whether his question was appropriate.

"Then that might be a different case, but no woman has resided in this household since my wife passed away. I have a daughter who is yet to become a woman. So…" He gestured to Naruto so that he could complete his thought.

"Soooo…so I should have come to you first to speak to Hinata tonight."

"Very good, you're not as dense as everyone lets on."

Reminded of Kakashi's words, Naruto boldly interjected: "I may not be the brightest sir, I may not be a feudal lord or a wealthy businessman, but I will be the next Hokage, believe it."

Hiashi chuckled to inwardly. "That may be so boy." Hiashi gave Naruto a good pat on the back. "Unfortunately for you Hinata is on punishment and is not allowed out of—" The man paused mid-sentence as something more pressing grabbed his attention.

"Sir….Sir?" Confused, Naruto turned to see what caught the man's eye and what he found was more shocking to him than the time Choji turned down free barbeque. Strolling casually through the main gate with Kiba attached to her arm was the Hyuuga heiress herself. And boy did she look…hot. Her hair fell in curls around her shoulders and somewhat hid the thin straps of her turquoise, knee length dress. Naruto couldn't help but to follow the curves of her body with his eyes. As he scanned her lovely frame from foot to head, he unconsciously made a check list in his mind. Her heels—high. Her calves—toned. Her hips—full. Her waist—slim. Her breasts…Naruto reddened at the thought and shook his sight away from the girl. Back in reality, he suddenly became conscious of the man standing next to him and felt the need to take a couple steps back.

"Good evening Hiashi-sama," a clueless Kiba addressed the man directly. However, his greeting went ignored. The man just glared at his daughter with raged etched all over his face.

"Inside," the man stated firmly to Hinata as he turned and disappeared inside the house. Hinata released her hold on Kiba's arm, walked into the threshold, and flirtatiously addressed the two young men behind her.

"Looks like that goodnight kiss will have to wait Kiba. Good night boys." Hinata turned and closed the door behind her leaving Naruto awestruck and leaving Kiba with a stupid grin on his face. Naruto regained his composure and dug into his comrade.

"You two were on a date?"

"Yep."

"But you're not a feudal lord."

"Yep."

"And you're not a wealthy businessman."

"Yep."

"And you're not strong enough to be Hokage someday."

"Ye—hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Kiba turned to leave the compound.

"I just can't believe you asked Hinata out on a date." Naruto followed the boy off the Hyuuga grounds, hands stuffed in his pockets in frustration.

"Who said I did. You're never gonna believe this, but she asked me." Kiba eyed Naruto as the blond rolled his eyes. "I'm serious. To be quite honest, I've been asking her to go out for a while, but she's never been interested. I always thought she was interested in…in someone else. I just didn't think she'd ever be into me like that. Then today, out of nowhere, she suddenly asked me and of course I agreed."

"That's…strange." Naruto scratched his head in confusion.

"Yeah, it is. She's not herself. The way she acted on the date, the way she's dressed…I'm not complaining though. I had a great time, but still...its so unlike her. I'm actually kinda worried."

Naruto lifted his arms and placed them atop his head as he looked into night sky.

"Me too Kiba."

They walked the rest of the way in silence before parting ways for the night. As Naruto headed towards his home, he couldn't help but think about the night he found Hinata crying by the lake after Hanabi's death. That night he made a promise to himself that he wouldn't let any more harm come to her…however, on this particular night, he couldn't help feel that he had failed her somehow.

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Rin walked down the village streets clutching to a bad of groceries as she headed back to Kakashi's apartment. Unbeknownst to either, they had settled into the traditional domestic roles quite flawlessly. Rin busied herself with the cooking and the cleaning while Kakashi handled the business of 'bringing home the bacon.' It seemed second nature for both of them, although, Rin hinted to Kakashi that she would like to go back to being an active duty medical nin.

Noticing something unusual, she stopped and tilted her head sideways.

"Well, well, well. I never thought I'd see the day. Little miss Hinata Hyuuga, doing work like some common day laborer." A smile stretched across Rin's face as she glanced at the dirty young girl doing yard work.

"Hai. Its part of my punishment…a small part." Hinata wiped the beads of sweat from her brow as she spoke.

"That bad huh?"

"It's not so bad. My father doesn't understand that he's already punished me in the worst way possible when he said that I could no longer be a shinobi…but, as my father reminded me several times last week…my life is not my own."

"Hmmm. I feel for you Hinata. I really do. I don't know what I'd do if I were in your shoes…I'd probably leave the village." Rin arched an eyebrow as she studied Hinata's face.

Rin continued as she shifted the groceries on her other arm. "That way I could do what I want and my father could assign any heir he wanted, but that's just me though. You're too honorable to do that sort of thing…right Hinata?"

The girl didn't respond.

Rin repeated herself. "Right Hinata?"

"Hai," Hinata responded as she was shaken from her thoughts. "That's correct."

"Good girl. You're a better person than me because I'd escape." Rin let out a laugh as she joked with the girl. "Yep, I'm not so honorable. I'd do it next week during the festival when it's crowded in the village…hahaha….with my little stick and handkerchief tied around it like a hobo." Rin mimicked the limp of an old man as she walked away.

"See you around Hinata," Rin spoke between her giggles as she left Hinata to her work.

"Goodbye..." Hinata waved back at her, deep in thought.

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"So, you've got a big mission after the festival next week?"

"Hai, my team and I are going to retrieve one of our missing members. We've been trying to get him back for quite some time now, but I have a good feeling about this mission. Naruto is stronger than he's ever been and more focused, but we can't leave this week because Tsunade-sama wants as many shinobi in the village as possible during the festival next week for security reasons." Kakashi sat across from Rin as they shared a meal together in his apartment.

"I love the bi-annual Will of the Fire Festival…I have such fond memories of it from when we were kids."

"Fond memories…I wouldn't say that. All I remember when I think of the festival is Obito setting off fireworks in an undesignated area and setting a whole block of houses on fire. Whenever the festival rolls around all I can think about is how we spent hours putting out that fire…and hours being scolded by sensei…and hours being scolded by the Hokage."

"Yea, we really gave the festival a new reason for being called the Will of the Fire Festival." Rin giggled.

"We?" Kakashi questioned.

"Umm…I seem to remember a certain someone right there with Obito purchasing the fireworks and setting them off…indoors."

"I do too. Her name was Rin."

Rin placed a finger on her chin and feigned deep thought. "Rin? Rin? The name doesn't ring a bell. What was she like?"

"Well, she was a nice girl and had a huge crush on me, but she really wasn't girlfriend material." Kakashi teased.

"Really? What material was she then?"

"Wife material."

"……."

Kakashi reached out and placed his hands on top of hers, his demeanor now serious.

"Rin…marry me."

"…wha…what?"

"I love you. I want you to be my wife. Marry me."

"…Kakashi…I….I can't…I…."

"Do you love me?" His hand remained steady.

"…I…."

"Do…you…love…me?"

"….yes…I do…you know I do, but…but it's not that simple."

"I love you. You love me. We should get married. Sounds simple enough."

"……"

Rin couldn't breathe or think straight. Tears were welling up in her eyes and her vision

became blurred, but she could see Kakashi rise from his chair and approach her as he tugged his mask down off his face. He softly kissed her trembling hand, then her cheek, and then her soft lips. He knelt down to one knee and as his hand reached out to pet he auburn hair as his other took her hand.

"Rin, will you marry me?"

Unable to resist any longer, Rin gave in.

"…yes…I will Kakashi…."

She fell into his arms as he smothered her body with kisses. Internally, one thought kept running through Rin's mind. _"I love him, I love him, I really do love him…"_


End file.
